Chief Rabbi Sir Jonathan Sacks has joined forces with the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, and the new Archbishop of Westminster, Vincent Nichols, to try to stop an attempt to introduce euthanasia by the back door.

In a letter to the Daily Telegraph, they criticised a Lords’ amendment to the Coroners and Justice Bill that would protect from prosecution people who wanted to help friends or relatives go abroad to commit suicide.

The three faith leaders said the amendment would put vulnerable people at risk.