Knights warn city builders to beware ancient curse

The Knights of St Edmund, a protest group based in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, claim to have revoked a 1000-year-old curse that causes insanity, venereal disease and even death to stop the Miller Group, Centros Miller and department store Debenhams.

The Knights have vowed to curse both the site the shopping centre will be built on and any companies which take residence.

Tony Williams, a spokesman for the developers, said: "At no point over the past four years have the Knights made themselves known to us or expressed an opinion about our scheme. This is a bit of an odd way to start."

The Knights said the curse will be used if the three firms do not pull out of the former cattle market site by November 18.

Bury resident Alan Murdie said: "This is a Christian town and townspeople will be calling on the protection of the Saint to smite our enemies.

"The curse has claimed many victims and we pray that Centros Miller, the Miller Group and Debenhams will all see the error of their ways before it is too late."

The curse was used on Henry VIII after he closed down St Edmund's Abbey in 1539 and allegedly caused the syphilis which led to his death.