A well-known figure in Stamford Hill's Charedi community has urged Jews to avoid the optional question on religion in the Census because it contravenes Jewish law.
JJ Rosner, who runs a number of medical charities, took issue with advice from other strictly Orthodox organisations for community members to respond to the religion question.
This guidance was "not in conformity with the Torah law which prohibits counting the Jewish population", he argued in a Charedi newsletter.
The Bible records that King David brought a plague on his kingdom for conducting a census without divine permission.