The Methodist Church has said will continue to seek to profit from investments in controversial oil and mining shares, despite last week’s announcement that it was to ‘use its investments to fight climate change’.

The mining company Rio Tinto, in which the Church of England has lost tens of millions of pounds, was attacked by dissatisfied shareholders at its AGM yesterday - and not only by the usual suspects.

The Church of England faced further gloom over its investments this morning, as a major hedge fund it has invested in was rocked by a late September slump.