The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, expressed unease at the way al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden died.

He spoke after visiting Emmanuel Church in Bure Park, Bicester, to bless the foundations of a new church building.

Dr Williams, said yesterday: “Obviously we are dealing with someone whose record is appalling and was responsible for atrocities, but at the end of the Second World War war criminals were given a trial.

“I do not want to judge anyone, but I wanted to express the unease being felt by quite a lot of people.”