A campaign to encourage employers to provide prayer rooms to meet the religious needs of employees is launched today by St Ethelburga's Centre for Reconciliation and Peace.

The campaign is backed by the Department for Communities and Local Government and the Employers Forum on Belief.

Justine Huxley, interfaith projects co-ordinator at St Ethelburga's, said: "We receive more requests for support with prayer space than for any other diversity issue. In the City there is a clear demand for greater accessibility of prayer space and we believe that purpose-built space will become more widespread in the future."

Companies that already offer prayer space include BT, Citi and Transport for London.

One in 12 Londoners is Muslim, which equate to more than 706,000 people.

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