A CAMPAIGN had started for the Bishop of Blackburn to step in after a controversial preacher was invited to speak at a church.

Franklin Graham, who has made several anti-homosexual and Islamophobic comments has been invited to speak at the Lancashire Festival of Hope at the Blackpool Winter Gardens next September.

A petition, started by Nina Parker, the pastor of Liberty Church in Blackpool, was launched to deny Mr Graham, 65, a visa to enter the UK and it has reached more than 6,000 signatures.

Blackpool North and Cleveleys MP Paul Maynard and Gordon Marsden, MP for Blackpool South have written to the home secretary with raised concerns with the trip.

Mr Graham is president and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and of Samaritan's purse, an international Christian relief organisation.

Mr Graham has been criticised throughout the last 20 years for comments about Islam, Barack Obama, same sex marriage and Hinduism.

Blackpool vicars Tracey Charnock and Andrew Safe have written an open letter to Bishop Julian to distance himself from the preacher.

The preacher was invited by several churches including St John's Church in Blackpool, St Mark's Church in Layton and All Hallows Church in Bispham to the rally next year.