A London church is being forced to move locations as developers force them off the land, they claim.

According to the Pentecostal City Mission Church in Harlesden, the developers entered the property, without permission and altered the locks. 

The incident is believed to have occurred whilst the church was vacant, MyLondon reports.

Fruition Properties received planning permission to develop the area in 2017, but the church closure means volunteers will no longer being able to administer vital community support.

They operate a nursery, foodbank and dementia care centre through the space, which they are now apparently unable to access. 

Parents were unable to drop their children off at nursery as a result of the closure.

The church has been offered an alternative space.

The issue has attracted the attention of the local MP, Andy Slaughter. He said: "It's unacceptable and quite frankly unbelievable news to hear that a developer has evicted a church, nursery and foodbank at a time where so many families are under financial strain to put food on the table.

"I have made my position to Fruition abundantly clear on numerous occasions and they have refused to meet to reach a solution, despite the planning policy clearly requiring provision for the church."