'I have a hotline to God': Desmond Tutu calls on British churches to do more to fight global poverty

Desmond Tutu spoke to more than 500 churchgoers in Brent Cross

Archbishop Desmond Tutu today called on British churches to do more to tackle global poverty, adding: 'I have a hotline to God.'

Archbishop Tutu, the former anti-apartheid activist who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984, visited London for a conference, Who Is My Neighbour?, rallying churches to invest more in the fight against HIV and Aids.

More than 500 churchgoers crammed into a converted warehouse in Brent Cross, north London, to cheer and clap as the 76-year-old, who has been battling prostate cancer, arrived on stage.

Supporting the campaign by Christian charity Tearfund, he said: 'Leave some of the plates and the corn for the poor.

'This God is an extremely biased God - God is biased in favour of the weak, in favour of the sinners even.

'Wash your hands of blood, work for justice and work for them.'

Smiling throughout his short speech, he added: 'I have a hotline to God - he says I must thank you.

'I want to thank you for caring as you do, I want to thank you as local churches and I want to thank you for engaging with other churches.'

The archbishop, who earlier told a BBC journalist that 'God would be weeping' to see churches spending more time debating homosexuality than world poverty, received a standing ovation as he left the stage.

Peter Grant, international director for the Christian charity, thanked the archbishop for his support, adding: 'The archbishop is passionate about fighting world poverty and HIV - it has been a tremendous privilege to hear him talk today.

'He was keen to come here, and to have someone with such an impressive track record for reducing poverty is marvellous.

'Our campaign is about more than just giving money to fight these problems.'