A timely tale of a refugee seeking sanctuary is coming to an East Lancs church tomorrow - thanks in part to a driving force behind the hit song Tubthumping.

Burnley-raised Boff Whalley penned the 1997 number two charting track while lead guitarist for Chumbawamba.

And tomorrow his latest literary effort - a powerful musical entitled Sanctuary - will be showcased at St Matthew's Church.

Boff, who grew up on the town's Rossendale Road, was a recent guest on The God Cast, run by St Matthew's Rev Alex Frost, which led to the church hosting the production.

The musical, co-written with Sarah Woods for Red Letter Theatre Company, focuses on Alland, a young Iranian man, who begs for sanctuary at a church in a northern town.

His arrival sparks differing reactions, from the welcome offered by a youth worker and the vicar to angry 'vigilantes', culminating in a community service where each side airs their viewpoints.

Outlining his inspiration, Boff said: "It came from the fact that Sarah and me were working with a refugee and asylum centre in Cardiff on and off for about three-and-a-half years trying to find musicians, writers, singers and poets, and by default getting to know the stories of ordinary people trapped in extraordinary circumstances.

"As a young lad I remember there was the case of Viraj Mendis who sought asylum in a church in Manchester to try and avoid being arrested and sent back home to Sri Lanka.

"There was a campaign and I remember going over there and people spent the night outside and inside the church to try and help him. So that was in my mind.

"It’s also a bit of a hidden story – this idea of people looking for a way to escape and to be protected. We thought why don’t we look at this idea of sanctuary and what it means to people who are religious and fleeing persecution."

Support for the musical, which will hit the stage at 7.30pm, has been provided by the Mayor of West Yorkshire's Safer Communities Fund and the chorus comes courtesy of students at Wakefield’s CAPA College.

Alland will be portrayed by Aein Nasseri and Emily Chattle appears as the youth worker to first befriend him.