The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has responded to the announcement at the end of last week that a British Airways employee had lost her appeal against the company's decision to stop her from wearing a cross necklace.

Earlier last week, Nadia Eweida, 55, lost her appeal against British Airways which stated that she could not wear the cross if she kept it visible while working at the BA check-in counter.

Dr Williams responded to the news by reaffirming his previous statement earlier in the month that it was "absolutely basic that people of any faith should have the right to display the signs of their faith commitment in public".

He continued: "What I find deeply confusing about the present situation is the response of BA, which doesn't seem to make it clear whether they're simply talking about regulations, concerning a piece of jewellery, or whether they are in some sense claiming that the cross is a source of offence.

"Now if BA is really saying or implying that the wearing of a cross in public is a source of offence, then I regard that as deeply offensive and, in a society where religious liberty and the expression of religious commitment is free, I regard it as something really quite serious.

"If they're saying that it's to do with matters of health and safety, I would question whether that is a sensible kind of regulation, whether in fact there really is a problem here, and I would ask them to look very seriously at this, given the enormous reaction of dismay that's been caused in the Christian community."

Dr Williams added that members of the Church of England had already raised the issue with the Church Commissioners as to whether the Church should continue to fly with British Airways, in which it has some financial investment.

BA announced at the end of last week it would review its policy on uniforms following the enormous backlash against its decision.