Dean of Southwark the Very Reverend Colin Slee barred Jerusalem from a recent service at Southwark Cathedral.

The hymn is sung at the last night of the Proms, by the Women's Institute and is an unofficial song for England rugby fans.

But all Church of England cathedral deans have the power to decide which hymns are sung during services in their domain.

A spokesman for Southwark Cathedral said: "The Dean of Southwark, in common with all other cathedral Deans, has the authority to decide what material is used in liturgy in their cathedral.

"The hymn Jerusalem is often used on national occasions, although rarely in Southwark, even on such occasions.

"The Dean of Southwark does not believe that it is to the glory of God and it is not therefore used in private memorial services such as the recent one."

The words of the hymn are a poem by William Blake set to music by Sir Hubert Parry, who wrote the tune for the suffragettes in 1916.

Brian Hoare, chairman of the Pratt Green Trust, a charity which promotes religious music, said: "It's not a hymn I would personally choose. It's a good piece of music and it's a very patriotic hymn, if you can call it a hymn.

"It's not really a devotional hymn. As a tool for Christian worship, I don't think it meets the requirements."