A THERAPIST has been banned from holding classes at the All Saints Pastoral Centre near London Colney because local Catholics feared that she was indulging in supernatural occult practices.

Amanda Hart, who lives in Colney Heath and describes her classes as "hypnotherapy and a variety of philosophy-based techniques", said: "The staff and the director at the centre have no problems with what I do, but other people complained that it was related to cults and witchcraft, which is a total misunderstanding.

"At my last class on October 26 there was a picket of people handing leaflets to my students.

"One woman who approached me and said she was a Catholic was shaking with fear.

" It is a shame because it is a beautiful building with wonderful energy - I will have to find somewhere else now."

The centre, located in a former Anglican convent in Shenley Lane, has not yet responded to the Review's invitation to comment, but the Review understands the decision to ban Ms Hart was made by Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, head of the Roman Catholic Church in England, who also acts as bishop for the owner of the centre, the Diocese of Westminster.