As discussion continues over how the Church of England and others might make reparations for their part in the slave trade, a major international conference is to look at the legacy of slavery in theological terms.

The Archbishops of Canterbury and York were joined by thousands in a solemn procession of remembrance on Saturday to mark the bicentenary of the British Parliament's abolition of the slave trade.

The head of the World Council of Churches has asked PM Tony Blair to change his mind and make an unambiguous apology for Britain's involvement in the slave trade.

A senior Church of England bishop has criticised evangelicals who backed the campaign to end the transatlantic slave trade and highlighted how his predecessors justified the trade and opposed William Wilberforce's attempts to end it.