Cathedral hosts a Da Vinci night

A panel will field questions on The Da Vinci Code book

Manchester Cathedral is hosting a Da Vinci night on Monday in an effort to discover the truth behind a controversial best-selling novel.

Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code claims Jesus married Mary Magdalene and they had a daughter who survived in France. It says the church covered this up.

Canon Robin Gamble, from Manchester Cathedral and creator of The Beatles Bible, will host the Da Vinci evening.

The experts fielding questions include an author and a theologian.

They are: the Reverend Daniel Clark, author of a forthcoming book about the facts of Easter; the Reverend Frankie Ward, a leading thinker on women's issues; Canon Tony McBride, who speaks for the Catholic Church; and theologian Dr Sean Winter.

Mr Gamble says: "Everyone's fascinated by mystery, secrets and the dark side.

"This gripping thriller asks lots of questions: Did Jesus really die on a cross? Was the Grail the 'cup of blood'? Is Easter Day fact or fiction? And why does it matter?"