A church has backed a campaign to stop the sale of arms to Saudi Arabia.

Members of St James URC in Buckhurst Hill are calling on the Government to act for peace as it supports Christian Aid’s ‘Be A Peacemaker’ appeal.

With more than half of Yemen’s population on the brink of famine due to war, the church signed a giant Christmas card to Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt urging him to suspend UK arms sales.

The card, depicting a dove made out of weaponry and ammunition, will join together with others from around the country to build pressure on the UK Government to stop fuelling the arms trade and instead spend more on peacebuilding.

Louise Woodcock, Christian Aid representative for St James, said: “We all have a deep longing for peace and that perhaps comes to the forefront at Christmas. But while we instinctively know that peace is essential for individuals and communities to flourish, it can be easy to overlook the role we have to play in building that peace.

“We can’t simply sing about peace at Christmas and expect it to happen, as Christians we believe we are given a task by Jesus to work towards a world where peace prevails alongside hope, dignity and respect.

“That is why we are supporting Christian Aid’s appeal this Christmas. They are not only supporting the work of everyday peacemakers in countries such as Colombia, South Sudan and Lebanon, but are also tackling the source of conflict by putting pressure on the UK Government to consider what it can do to build peace more effectively.

“Closer to home we will be pledging to act for peace whether it is through building trust, showing friendship, saying sorry or forgiving and we will of course be praying and singing for peace too."

To find out more go to www.caid.org.uk/christmas-appeal