Father Tim Jones said: "God's love for the poor and despised outweighs the property rights of the rich."  His comments, in his Christmas sermon at St Lawrence Church, York, have been slammed by police, church leaders and shopkeepers.  Fr Jones, 42, said life could be particularly hard for people such as those just out of jail who could not get benefits.

He added: "My advice, as a Christian priest, is to shoplift. I do not offer such advice because I think that stealing is a good thing, or because I think it is harmless, for it is neither.  I would ask that they do not steal from small family businesses but from large, national businesses, knowing that the costs are ultimately passed on to the rest of us in the form of higher prices.  I would ask them not to take any more than they need, for any longer than they need.  I offer the advice with a heavy heart and wish society would recognise that bureaucratic ineptitude and systematic delay has created an invitation and incentive to crime for people struggling to cope."

A spokesman for North Yorks Police said: "Shoplifting is a criminal offence and to justify this course of action under any circumstances is highly irresponsible."  Stephen Alambritis, of the Federation of Small Businesses, said: "We are appalled by the remarks from Father Jones. It is outrageous."  And the Archdeacon of York, the Venerable Richard Seed, said: "The Church of England does not advise anyone to break the law in any way."

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