Scots balance out increasing belief in angels

Nearly one in three Britons believe they have a guardian angel watching over them, but Scots remain the most sceptical.

An online survey of 1,038 people for the Bible Society and Christian Research showed 31 per cent believed in angels, with 17 per cent not sure.

A further 5 per cent - or one in 20 - told the ICM poll last week that they thought they had seen or heard an angel, with 29 per cent saying they believed a guardian angel watched over them.

The research showed the London region had the highest levels of belief in angels at 40 per cent, compared with 22 per cent in Scotland

Canon Dr Ann Holt, Bible Society director of programme, said: "There is plenty of evidence that there are presences in this world beyond the human.

"The fact a third of this country believes in angels is a sign of a spiritual need.

"An angel is God's messenger and the Bible affirms this through the many appearances of angels in different forms."