According to new data released from the 2011 Census,there has been a drop in the number of people in Britain identifying themselves as Christians.

The statistics reveal that the number of Christians has fallen from 37 million to 33 million since 2001. Christians now make up 59% of the population, as opposed to 72% in 2001.

The number of Muslims has risen from 1.5 million to 2.7 million - or 5% of the population - while the number of people describing themselves as having no religion rose by 10% to 25% of the population.

Chief executive of the British Humanist Association Andrew Copson said the data represented a "really significant cultural shift".