Formality was put to one side at St Paul's Cathedral for a few hours on Saturday when it became a 'Messy Cathedral' for the day.

The cathedral partnered with the Messy Church movement, which has revolutionised church outreach to children and families through craft-based activities and services.

It was arts and crafts galore as families rolled up their sleeves to create banners and get involved in drama on the cathedral floor.

The Messy Cathedral day was part of an exciting new approach to the annual celebration of the Conversion of St Paul.

People were first invited to participate in the Messy Cathedral session before joining together for the St Paul's Eucharist Service, presided over by the Bishop of London, which included a procession of banners created by diocese churches and church groups.

The Messy Cathedral day coincided with the launch of a campaign to launch 20 new Messy Churches across London over the next two years as part of the Diocese of London's Capital Vision 2020 objective to double the number of children and young people involved in the church.

Commenting on the event, Children's Ministry Adviser at the Diocese of London, Sam Donoghue, said: "This year's celebration of St Paul's patron saint was bigger, and certainly a lot messier, than ever before.

"Messy Church is all about bringing communities together to explore faith through colour, creativity and celebration, and the Diocese of London is encouraging the creation of Messy Churches up and down the diocese to engage more children and young people with the church."