Tate & Lyle Sugars - makers of Lyle's Golden Syrup - have said that the design for their tins is not changing after backlash over a rebrand that removed biblical references from the logo and some products.

The company has been on the backfoot since unveiling a new design that will be rolled out across certain syrup products from this month. 

It has said that the traditional tins will not be included in this rollout. 

"As you might know, our tins have featured the same design since 1883, and our original logo is precious to us," it said.

"We even hold a Guinness World Record for the longest unchanged packaging design, and it's a record we don't plan on giving up. Our tins are not changing.

"The recipe for Lyle's Golden Syrup remains unchanged too, featuring the same delicious taste that has been loved for generations, and made with just one ingredient at the same factory in East London as it has been since 1883. Our tins are here to stay."

The original logo and design featured a lion surrounded by a swarm of bees in a reference to the Old Testament story of Samson and the Lion. 

After killing the lion, Samson eats some of the honey made by bees swarming around it. 

The story was the inspiration for devout Christian founder Abram Lyle's original 1883 design of the tin and it was accompanied by words from the story, "Out of the strong came forth sweetness."

The logo has been changed to show only a lion's head alongside the words "Lyle's Golden Syrup", prompting criticism from Christians. 

Sam Margrave, a member of the Church of England's General Synod, told The Telegraph: "Bible stories have appealed to families for millennia.

"There is nothing modern about ditching tradition or sidelining Christian messaging. I enjoy Golden Syrup with my pancakes on Shrove Tuesday every year.

"I am sure the Lyle business doesn't mind benefiting from sales and Christian branding every Easter, so why do they feel the need to eradicate their connection with their Christian founder's iconic logo which tells a story that works for every generation? Did they ask anyone if they were offended by Christian messages?" 

Evangelist David Robertson said, "It is easy to mock and point out that no one came to faith because of seeing an obscure Bible verse on a syrup tin, but that misses the point. This story is just one piece in a thousand-piece jigsaw which illustrates how branded, bland and unbiblical Britain is becoming."