FOUR new church bells will be the subject of a dedication service in Southampton next month.

The Church of the Ascension, Bitterne Park, has recently added four bells to its ring of eight, providing Southampton with its first ring of 12 bells.

Southampton City Ringers raised £35,000 for the project and each new bell weighs between 100kg and 130kg.

It is the lightest set of 12 bells in the world and is expected to attract national and international interest.

The dedication service, including ringing on the new set of 12, will take place at the Church of the Ascension at 4pm on Sunday, May 4.

For details on bell ringing and learning how to ring, visit southamptoncityringers.org.uk.