A BRIDGE supporting the M6 near Preston has been hiding a secret for almost 40 years, it was revealed this week.

Contract engineers working on the bridge carrying the M6 over the A49 at Cuerden were removing stone facing when they discovered it was actually made out of old tombstones dating back to the 19 century!

Highways Agency project manager Nick Moreton said: "Engineers removing the stone facing as part of the bridge refurbishment found it was made of gravestones.

"The inscriptions faced inwards so that motorists would have no clue as to their origins. We were very surprised by the discovery. We tried to trace the source of stone but couldn't -- it could have been a deconsecrated churchyard anywhere in the country."

The gravestones had been broken into small chunks and workmen felt that, with no way of tracing the original source, the decent thing to do was put the stone back when the bridge renovation is completed.

So next time you're driving along the A49 underneath the bridge, don't worry if you suddenly feel a little cold, or you hit a mysterious patch of mist -- it'll just be the the ghosts, watching over their final farewell...