DARESBURY Church has been dragged into the row over faked TV shows.

It has been revealed that ITV filmed the Christmas and Easter services at All Saints Church on the same day in November - five months before the event was due to be aired on April 8.

On Tuesday, the Reverend David Felix admitted the church's two most important religious services had, in fact, taken place hours apart for rolling cameras but that it was common practice.

A spokesman for ITV told the Warrington Guardian: "It is correct performances for the films of the two were done at the same time due to the costs involved in shooting, as well as the lighting need in the church.

"ITV are not attempting to deceive anyone in any way.

"The services will be enjoyed by viewers in the same way as if they were filmed at separate times."

The national furore comes after it emerged this week that the BBC had filmed Christmas Day and Easter Sunday a day apart.

Critics now claim millions of viewers who tune in to see the services have been duped, while TV chiefs said it is a traditional move to cut the expenses involved in creating such programmes.

Filming at picturesque All Saints Church, on Daresbury Lane, pulled high-profile names including classical singer Katherine Jenkins, the Duchess of Kent and Wendy Peters, who plays Cilla Battersby-Brown in Coronation Street.

Meanwhile, former Home Secretary David Bulnkett, MP Hazel Blears and Ann Widdecombe were involved in the services also.

For the past two years, ITV has selected Daresbury Church for the filming of both shows without any controversy.