The Bishop of Rochester, Dr Michael Nazir-Ali, has said homosexuals should "repent and be changed".

In an interview with The Sunday Telegraph, Dr Nazir-Ali said: "We want to uphold the traditional teaching of the Bible.

"People who depart from this don't share the same faith. They are acting in a way that is not normative according to what God has revealed in the Bible.

"The Bible's teaching shows that marriage is between a man and a woman. We welcome homosexuals, we don't want to exclude people, but we want them to repent and be changed."

The bishop said it is not just homosexuals who need to repent - but all who live their lives in contrast to the Bible's teaching.

It is not the first time Dr Nazir-Ali's views on homosexuality have courted controversy.

Last year, a gay rights group protested at Rochester Cathedral against his opposition to an homosexual American bishop attending a key church meeting.

However, there was a low turnout for the demonstration on that occasion.