Anglicans receive bread, or hosts, and consecrated wine sipped from a shared chalice while kneeling at the altar rail during Communion services, symbolic of the body and blood of Christ.

The Archbishops of Canterbury and York have written to bishops in the Church of England to suspend the "sharing of the chalice" at services of Holy Communion as a precaution against "swine flu pandemic" following advice by the Department of Health not to share "common vessels" for food or drink.

Dr Rowan Williams, the Archbishops of Canterbury asked the bishops to spread the order to clergy at each of the 16,000 parish churches throughout Britain, the Times online reported on Friday.

"In the light of this advice, we recommend those presiding at Holy Communion suspend the administration of the chalice during this wave of pandemic flu," the Archbishops said, even as some bishops have already taken the step.

It is an unprecedented order as even when plague gripped Britain in the 17th century, churches were not directed to take such a precaution, the report said.

In case worshipers insist on continue to receive wine, Dr Williams and Dr John Sentamu have advised priests to dip the host in the wine before placing it in the hands of the communicant. However, the bishops have been asked to ensure that their hands are sterilised before handling the chalice or hosts, a practice followed widely in areas of the world such as Africa.

Parish Nursing, a charity that provides free advice to the Church, is advising clergy to cancel services if necessary, the report said.

However, the Roman Catholic Church has left the decision to the discretion of individual bishops, though many are also expected to follow government guidelines on the sharing of the wine cup.

The authorities here in May had published its pandemic flu advice for faith communities in which it asked them to ensure that the fingers of the person distributing the sacrament do not come into contact with the communicants - hands.

The Bishop of Chelmsford has advised parishes to banish holy water from fonts and stoups, which are often found just inside the doorway of churches. The Right Rev John Gladwin said: "The water contained in stoups can easily become a source of infection."