A LEADING church activist has welcomed a government pledge to ban counselling that aims to 'cure' Christians of homosexuality.

Jayne Ozanne, a gay evangelical Christian who campaigns for LGBTQ equality in the church, said she was 'thrilled' politicians had agreed this week to eradicate so-called 'conversion therapy'.

The author, who lives in Littlemore, has previously spoken out about the therapy having experienced it herself.

She said: "I am thrilled the government has finally understood the extent of this harmful practice, which happens in back rooms by untrained religious officials trying all forms of deliverance and healing 'ministries'.

"My own research has shown that it is vulnerable teenagers who are most likely to be subject to this, and the impact can cause lasting trauma throughout their whole lifetime.

"It is time that this medieval practice is banned once and for all, and that people are instead encouraged to fully embrace who they have been created to be."

Last year Ms Ozanne successfully lobbied the Church of England's legislative council to condemn conversion therapy, which - in extreme cases - can even involve electroshock 'treatment'.

She has now called on the Evangelical Alliance, the largest UK body representing evangelical Christians, to reassess its guidance book on homosexuality.

Ms Ozanne said it currently states there is need for gay people to be 'transformed'.

In a government survey of 108,000 LGBT people living in the UK, two per cent said they had undergone conversion therapy and five per cent said they had been offered it.

Prime Minister Theresa May has branded conversion therapy an ''abhorrent practice'.