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A London church has become the first in the country to accept internet currency Bitcoins in its collection plate.

The Rev Chris Brice of St Martin’s Anglican Parish Church in Gospel Oak said the innovation showed that “we are people in touch with what’s going on around us”.

Some supporters of Bitcoins claim the currency wrestles power from corporations and banking giants, and its value has soared in the past 12 months, peaking at more than £615.

Mr Brice said: “The current [financial] system is not all that reliable, given recent events. You’ve got to live in an environment where people are free to experiment with these things. If this doesn’t work we’ll try something else.”

Parishioners can scan a QR barcode in the church with a mobile device to make anonymous donations from their Bitcoin account, or “wallet”.

Andrew Harrison, 45, who came up with the idea for the church, said: “No one knows who is making the donation, which is the way it should be. Only God knows.”

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He quoted Matthew 6, 3-4 in the Bible: “But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”

The move comes after pop-up shopping mall BoxPark in Shoreditch added BitTag price labels to its products.

Other attempts to bring the currency into the real world include the announcement by Cumbria University that it would allow some students to pay tuition fees using the currency.

However, this week Apple banned the last remaining Bitcoin wallet app from the App Store citing “unresolved issues”.

The anonymity of holders of Bitcoins has also led to claims that the currency is being used to carry out online drug and weapons trades.