The Church of England has urged the people of Japan to join its campaign against a Sony computer war game that uses Manchester Cathedral as a backdrop in a gun scene.

UK Prime Minister, Tony Bair, has supported the Church of England's campaign.

"It is important that any of the companies who are engaged in promoting this type of goods have some sense of responsibility and also some sensitivity to the feelings of others," he said. "There is a wider social responsibility as well as simply responsibility for profit."

The controversial game is Sony Playstation's 'Resistance: Fall of Man', which features gun battles inside the cathedral without permission from the Church of England.

The game has been highly popular, with more than a million copies sold so far. However, the featured shoot-out in the cathedral shockingly kills hundreds of soldiers in a virtual version of the holy building.

The Church of England has called for an apology from the game makers, and has called for the game to be removed from shops, warning that if this is not done it will consider legal action.

Despite the serious implications, the BBC reports that Sony has still not returned calls from Church officials.

The Bishop of Manchester, the Rt Rev Nigel McCulloch has said that Sony's actions have been "highly irresponsible", especially in light of Manchester's troubles with gun crime.

He said, "It is well know that Manchester has a gun crime problem. For a global manufacturer to re-create one of our great cathedrals with photo-realistic quality and then encourage people to have guns battles in the building is beyond belief and highly irresponsible.

"Here in Manchester we do all we can to support communities through our parish clergy. We know the reality of gun crime and the devastating effects it can have on lives. It is not a trivial matter."

The Dean of Manchester Cathedral, the Very Rev Rogers Govender, has said Sony was "undermining" the work of the cathedral. He said, "We are shocked to see a place of learning, prayer and heritage being presented to the youth market as a location where guns can be fired.

"This is an important issue. For many young people these games offer a different sort of reality and seeing guns in Manchester Cathedral is not the sort of connection we want to make.

"Every year we invite hundreds of teenagers to come and see the cathedral and it is a shame to have Sony undermining our work."

David Wilson, a Sony spokesman, told The Times newspaper: "It is game-created footage, it is not video or photography.

"It is entertainment, like Doctor Who or any other science fiction. It is not based on reality at all. Throughout the whole process we have sought permission where necessary."