Tense stand-off continues over protest camp at St. Paul's Cathedral

Nov 1, 2011, 13:12 GMT

London - A tense stand-off between protestors and the authorities continued at London's St Paul's Cathedral Tuesday as the church made clear that it would not back any moves to clear demonstrators camped in tents outside.

A spokesman for the cathedral, one of London's most famous landmarks, said the church had not sought an injunction and would not serve notice on the protestors to leave.

The church leadership was 'committed to a peaceful resolution at all costs,' he said.

Meanwhile, the City of London Corporation, which is responsible for law and order in the City of London - the district in which St Paul's is situated - was Tuesday expected to urge the protestors to leave within 48 hours or face legal action over eviction.

The crisis over the protest camp has already triggered the resignation of two top church officials.

Since the camp was set up as part of worldwide protests to support the Occupy Wall Street movement in New York in mid-October, both the dean and the chancellor of St Paul's have resigned over the handling of the protest.

After initially being invited in by the church, the protestors, who number several hundred, have vowed to stay put despite appeals for them to move on.