Bishop of London says St Pauls protesters should leave

The Bishop of London has called upon anti-capitalist protesters camped outside St Paul’s Cathedral to leave.

Dr Richard Chartres said the camp’s presence outside the landmark may end up eclipsing the very cause it was set up to address.

Around 300 protesters belonging to Occupy London Stock Exchange have set up camp outside the cathedral, which is situated in London’s financial district.

Their presence has forced the cathedral to close its doors to the public for the first time since World War II.

Cathedral Dean the Rt Rev Graham Knowles said the decision to close the cathedral on health and safety grounds had been made with a “heavy heart”.

The closure is having a huge impact on the life of the cathedral, after services ground to a halt over the weekend.

It is estimated to be losing around £20,000 a day in lost tourism revenue, the main source of income for the cathedral, which receives very little funding towards the high cost of its upkeep.

Dr Chartres said in a statement: “This demonstration has undoubtedly raised a number of very important questions.

"The St Paul’s Institute has itself focused on the issue of executive pay and I am involved in ongoing discussions with City leaders about improving shareholder influence on excessive remuneration.

“Nevertheless, the time has come for the protestors to leave, before the camp’s presence threatens to eclipse entirely the issues that it was set up to address.

"The Dean and the Chapter, who are responsible for St Paul’s, have already made it clear that the protest should come to an end and I fully support that view.”

The cathedral and the Corporation of London are considering taking legal action to force the protesters to move.