THE public are to get the chance to discuss their views on Wiltshire's ghost village, Imber, about which a new film is being made.

A panel discussion on August 30 at the village's St Giles Church will follow a special musical event due to be held the weekend before.

Imber, which was evacuated in 1943 during the Second World War to make way for US army training, has been uninhabited for 60 years. It is now used by the MOD for battle training and only opened to the public for a few events each year.

From August 21 to 23 the village is open for a promenade event written by Georgian composer Giya Kancheli, which has been commissioned by Artangel Media.

The following Saturday offers a chance to ask whether Imber's past has now been laid to rest.

Panellists will debate whether it is time the village was forgotten or whether it is an enduring symbol of national and historical significance.

On the panel are the Ven Barney Hopkins, Archdeacon of Wiltshire and Colonel Paul Norrington-Davies OBE, commandant for Salisbury Plain Training. They will be joined by cultural historian and broadcaster Patrick Wright.

Mr Wright is the author of The Village that Died for England: The Strange Story of Tyneham.

The Imber event will also form the centrepiece of a new BBC film about the village, directed by Artangel documentary maker Mark Kidel.

The discussion is from 1.15pm to 2.15pm. Entry is free, but seating is limited so visitors are encouraged to arrive early to secure a place.