A senior Church of England bishop has warned that Anglican youth clubs, welfare projects and charities may close because of new gay rights laws, in the wake of the protest by Roman Catholic Archbishop of Birmingham Vincent Nichols against Government interference in the moral beliefs of Christians.

The Bishop of Rochester, the Right Reverend Michael Nazir-Ali, said that the Church of England's charities would be "affected" by the rules, which will force them to give equal treatment to homosexuals.

He declared: "It will be the poor and disadvantaged who will be the losers."

Although the new laws are meant to prevent discrimination against gays, the Church of England has said they mean priests could be sued for refusing to bless same-sex unions and Catholics say they will close their adoption agencies rather than give children to gay couples.

Due to become law next April, ministers are faced with a united front of hostility from churches over the Sexual Orientation Regulations.

Leaders of the increasingly influential black churches added their voices to the protest, saying that pastors and churchgoers will go to jail rather than accept rules that will mean they must open their meeting halls to gay lobby groups.