A WOMAN’S ashes, discovered washed up on Mudeford Beach by the Mayor of Christchurch, have been returned to the deep.

Christchurch Mayor Cllr Lesley Dedman made the discovery, just before Christmas, while walking her dogs following a spell of stormy weather.

Yesterday, Audrey’s ashes were returned to the sea, off Mudeford Quay, following a short service carried out by Vicar of Christchurch Charles Stewart.

Rev Stewart was joined by Cllr Dedman, undertaker Stuart Major, and Mudeford Ferry Captain Paul Derham, who took the funeral party out to sea.

Cllr Dedman said: “Just a little way up the beach I was walking my dogs and I saw a box, it was quite a large box and I thought, I wonder what it is.

“I went over and it was clearly someone’s ashes, with the name Audrey Maguire on a brass plate.

“It had obviously floated in, and I had one of those moments where I though ‘I almost wish I hadn’t have seen it’.

“But I had seen it, and I had to do something. I couldn’t just leave it there.

“So I went home with my two dogs and Audrey Maguire.”

Despite subsequent appeals in the Daily Echo to trace relatives, no-one came forward.

However, undertaker Mr Major, from Christchurch’s Miller Brothers Funeral Directors, did come forward, organising a biodegradable urn to carry Audrey’s ashes.

He told the Echo: “Basically it will dissolve and cause no harm to the environment whatsoever.

“The plan is we will place Audrey into the sea, she will then sink to the bottom and over a couple of hours dissolve and the ashes will disperse into the sea.

“We’d like to think that if there are any family or friends, she has been treated with dignity and respect.”

Rev Stewart said this was the first time he’d dealt with anything like this is almost 32 years of ordained ministry. “What we are going to do,” he said, “is take the ashes back out to sea and give them what they were meant to have in the first place, so she can be at rest."

“Her ashes will be committed to the deep.”

Meanwhile, Cllr Dedman said: “Audrey will be going out with the goodwill of everybody in Mudeford.”