Vince Cable has appealed to the church to allow more community places in faith schools because some schools in his constituency were “bursting at the seams."

People told him they could not get places and were being passed over for church-goers who lived further away.

He said in his monthly newsletter: “I have always been a defender of faith schools because of the extra choice it gives to parents, respecting their religion.

“But we are getting into difficult - and nasty - competition for places. In a band from East Twickenham to Teddington there are now five faith schools (three CofE, two RC), and two non-denominational schools which are also bursting at the seams.

“I am appealing to the church authorities to be community-minded on admissions.”

The Twickenham MP’s plea comes as fair school policy campaign group, Richmond Inclusive Schools Campaign (Risc) spoke at a new national Fair Admissions Campaign, which promotes all state-funded schools to be open to all children, regardless of their parents’ religion. 

Risc coordinator Jeremy Rodell told the meeting: “Parents all over the country share the concerns of Risc’s supporters about faith-based admissions to state schools.”

He was among speakers including Rabbi Jonathan Romain, head of the Accord Coalition, Professor Ted Cantle, founder of the Institute of Community Cohesion and author of The Cantle Report, and Pavan Dhaliwal from the British Humanist Association, at the launch on June 6.