Council's prayers are illegal, rules judge

They challenged Bideford town council in Devon for having prayers on meeting agendas.

Mr Justice Ouseley, sitting at the Royal Courts of Justice, ruled: "The saying of prayers as part of the formal meeting of a council is not lawful under section 111 of the Local Government Act 1972, and there is no statutory power permitting the practice to continue."

Simon Calvert, of the Christian Institute, described the ruling as "bizarre".