THE Bishop of Hereford, the Rt Rev. John Oliver, is mobilising his Christian soldiers in the war on unjust trade rules.

In the week before the world's most powerful nations meet at the G7 summit in Evian, France to discuss world trade he has called on parishioners to lobby their MPs and alter their lifestyles to help poorer nations and protect the environment.

In a letter to all churches he says: "The environmental imperative and the issue of climate change have to be brought into considerations of trade justice.

"Influencing campaigns to increase trade for poorer countries while wanting to curb overall levels of trade for environmental impact."

The Bishop highlights the plight of our own farmers who are seriously disadvantaged by current rules and regulations. He targets the environmental cost of intensive farming, the exploitation of natural resources and the damage caused by greenhouse because of needless food miles.

He said: "Jubilee 2000 was an amazing success in forcing governments to address the issue of the devastating burden of unpayable debt on the poorest countries in the world.

"But huge problems still remain. We can take part in the Trade Justice Movement plan to lobby all 659 MPs in 24 hours on June 27 and 28."