London council bans poster for Christian event

Camden Council, in north London, has refused to allow a parish group holding a weekend of events on climate change, to display their posters in libraries or social centres - unless they remove words such as 'God' and 'Christian' from the text.

The St Francis weekend, organised by Our Lady Help of Christians in Kentish Town, includes Mark Dowd from Operation Noah, speaking on 'Climate Change is a Christian Issue' on 2nd October at 7.30pm; Ellen Teague from Christian Ecology Link talking at all the Sunday Masses and a Pet Blessing (complete with children's choir from St Patrick's Primary School) at 4pm on the Sunday 4 October. The posters advertised this information.

A group organiser said: "We are being supported by local conservation groups and animal charities. There will be publicity from the RSPCA, Beaumont Animal Hospital, PDSA, recycling groups and others.

"This time last year we held a Green Fair for the Feast of St Francis, which was a great community event. Our local MP Frank Dobson and many town councillors came. We had a good deal of support from Camden Council who had stalls promoting recycling and compost etc. I don't understand why they they won't allow us to put up our posters this year."

A council spokesperson: "We are happy to put up posters supporting green issues but council policy does not allow the promotion of religion."

Parishioner Margaret Harvey, said: "A government spin doctor once said: 'we don't do God'. This sounds like: 'we don't do God in Camden.'"