|PIC1|Amazing Grace grossed more than £430,000 at the box office in just three days during the weekend, grabbing the sixth position in the UK film charts.

The film, which tells the story of William Wilberforce's 20-year fight to bring an end to the British slave trade, is showing in over 230 UK theatres - and a strong first weekend means more theatres will be added this week.

"We're delighted to have made such a solid start," said May-Lynn Chang of film producers Bristol Bay Productions. "We are optimistic that church and school groups over the Easter break will ensure a good run for the film. Indications are that word-of-mouth recommendations for the film are high - a vital factor for long-term impact."

Amazing Grace has already grossed more than $16m at the US box office.

William Wilberforce was elected to the House of Commons as MP for Hull when only 21 and dedicated his life to the reformation of manners in order to build a just and fair society.

He advocated prison reform, better hospital care, improving conditions for the poor and other areas of social reform, but his passion was to abolish slavery in all its forms. In 1807 the Commons voted to abolish the slave trade throughout the British Empire, but it was not until 1833 that total abolition was achieved.

Three days after this latter event, in July 1833, Wilberforce died. The hymn 'Amazing Grace' from which the movie derives its title, stands as the personal testimony of John Newton, a former slave trader who had a dramatic conversion to Christianity.

Wilberforce and Newton met on several occasions and Wilberforce used the words of Newton's hymn to prick the conscience of influential members of the Commons and the Lords to support the Anti-Slavery Bill. John Newton died the same year as the bill passed into law in 1807.