Atheists banned from church land

An atheist group has been banned from holding its “church” on ecclesiastical land within a London school.

Hundreds of godless worshippers have attended the Sunday Assembly in a deconsecrated church on the first Sunday of every month since the New Year. The group was the idea of comedians Sanderson Jones and Pippa Evans.

But they have been told by the school that their flock can no longer meet in the former St Paul’s Church in Islington, now called The Nave. St Paul’s Steiner School cited booking problems and health and safety concerns. The venue is said to have a maximum capacity of 200 people and the Sunday Assembly draws up to 500.

Mr Jones said the Church of England had raised concerns about the appropriateness of his group staging godless events in an ecumenical building. The Diocese of London would not comment on the claims.