The Church of England has poured cold water on a plan to light up church towers across the country with beacons to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee next year.
Officials say they have “serious reservations” on health and safety grounds to the proposal for the gas-powered devices to be set up on ancient church roofs.
Instead they recommend that beacons lit to mark the monarch’s 60th year on the throne should be placed far away from buildings.
It comes after senior clergy at St Paul’s Cathedral were accused of using “spurious” health and safety concerns to close the doors to the London landmark after the Occupy protesters camped on its doorstep.
Tony Baldry, the backbench Conservative MP who speaks on behalf of the Church of England in the Commons, said in a written answer this week: “The Church Commissioners have a number of serious reservations about the proposal to invite churches to place gas powered beacons on church towers to commemorate Her Majesty the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012.