From Cambridge Evening News:

A CHURCH leader says he is prepared to die for his cause as he continues his hunger strike.

Bishop Lynwal Williams, pastor of Greater Bibleway Gospel Church in Cambridge, has been on hunger strike for a week in protest at the actions of a property developer.

The church agreed a 12-month lease with MPM Properties to use the former Sedley School site in Malta Road, Coleridge, from June last year, where it developed a range of community facilities. However, the church was given notice to quit by February and when it failed to do so, the landlords seized possession. On Friday, March 5, church members were met with locked gates and security guards.

Bishop Williams has been surviving on water since last Wednesday. He admits to feeling weak and hungry.

"I don't have the finance to take them to court to argue the case from a legal perspective. The only way I could bring awareness to this act is to do this," he said.

The Bishop said he is prepared to continue his protest indefinitely, until "either MPM allow us back in to continue to do what we were doing, until we find somewhere elsewhere, or someone else comes up with somewhere".

He said he is prepared to die.

"I am prepared to do it. That's what they're doing to us; whether physically or economically. When they did that act they set out to kill us."

MPM Properties plans to develop the site to provide student accommodation, community facilities and a nursery.

The company said: "In the run up to this development taking place, a short business lease was agreed with the Greater Bibleway Church charity in June last year that it could have temporary use of the former school building."

MPM said notice was given for the charity to leave by February 7, but it failed to do so.

"It failed to vacate the premises at the end of the lease and its solicitors would not give any indication of a date on which the charity would be willing to vacate in the future, despite a number of written requests for them to do so. As a result, steps were eventually taken on the evening of March 4, 2004 to gain legal possession and secure the site on behalf of the owner."

Camcat Housing Association, a partner in the development with MPM, said: "The church must surely accept they cannot browbeat others into giving them what they want. We know how difficult it is to find a site in Cambridge as we have been looking since 1997 - and hope the actions of the short-term tenant are not going to destroy the project.

"We wish them well in their search for alternative accommodation."