Balliol College is facing further criticism after students banned the Christian Union from attending its freshers fair for new pupils.

The college CU was told it could not attend the annual event for fear they would be 'alienating' people from other faiths and because Christianity was, in the eyes of the senior students, 'an excuse for homophobia and certain forms of neo-colonialism'.

The Church of England's chief education office Nigel Genders said the decision was 'at odds with the kind of society we are all seeking to promote' as he insisted freedom of religion and belief was a 'fundamental principle that underpins our country and its great institutions and universities'.

The director of The Universities and Colleges Christian Fellowship (UCCF), Rev Richard Cunningham, added that he was 'concerned' by the controversy which escalated from a inter-university debate after being published in the student newspaper Cherwell into a national debate.

Cunningham said instances of CUs being banned was 'a pretty rare experience' and most had a good relationship with their student unions.

'We are however concord that the current desire to provide safe spaces on campus does not infringe on the core liberties of freedom of speech and freedom of association which are surely foundational to the university experience and indeed to basic human flourishing,' he said.

Former children's minister and Conservative MP for East Worthing & Shoreham Tim Loughton said it was a 'chilling example' of censorship.

It comes after Freddy Potts, vice president of Balliol's junior common room told a CU representative they could not attend the freshers fair because they may cause 'harm' and a ban 'may be a way of helping to avoid making any students feel initially unwelcome within Balliol'.

In emails seen by the student paper he said: 'This sort of alienation or micro-aggression is regularly dismissed as not important enough to report, especially when there is little to no indication that other students or committee members may empathise, and inevitably leads to further harm of the already most vulnerable and marginalised groups.

'Historically, Christianity's influence on many marginalised communities has been damaging in its methods of conversion and rules of practice, and is still used in many places as an excuse for homophobia and certain forms of neo-colonialism.'

Potts, who was part of the College's winning University Challenge team, added: 'Many students, especially students of colour and of other faiths, may already feel alienated and vulnerable in Oxford, a university with a reputation for racism and lack of diversity, and a city with barely any appropriate places of worship for non-Christians.'

He said: 'Hopefully, as people of faith, you may be able to empathise with this, and we ask you to consider from a place of compassion the potential harm to those freshers who are already severely and harmfully disadvantaged.'

A Balliol College CU spokeswoman said she did not wish comment further but told Christian Today the situation had been 'amicably resolved' after they were allowed to distribute literature from a multi-faith stall though no representatives were allowed to attend in person.