Protesters could form a human barricade to try and disrupt the Pope’s visit to Twickenham next month.

The blockade was just one of the ideas raised at a Protest the Pope meeting to discuss the head of the Roman Catholic Church’s visit to St Mary’s University College on September 17.

It was suggested by a member of the 60-strong audience that protesters should block Waldegrave Road to prevent Pope Benedict XVI from reaching the university, where 3,500 schoolchildren are due to gather.

However Peter Kirkham, chairman of Richmond’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) forum, which organised the meeting, this week confirmed the forum would not support the blockade.

He said the forum had decided not to make any direct protest though it was a matter for individual members whether they wished to do so.

The Pope’s views on artificial contraception, women becoming priests and same-sex marriages, as well as the cost of his visit to the taxpayer, were among the arguments for joining the Protest the Pope campaign, raised at the meeting.

Terry Sanderson, president of the National Secular Society, spoke about the campaign at the gathering last Thursday, at Old Town Hall, Richmond.

He said: ”Protest the Pope is not anti-Catholic, it is anti-Pope - this Pope.

“Our protest will not be confrontational, it will be parallel. We are not going to try to arrest the Pope, but we do want him to know that his teachings are profoundly inhumane and damaging to so many people.”

The Foreign Office has estimated the cost of the Pope’s visit could reach £15m - not including the cost of police and security.

Of this amount, £7m will come from the Catholic Church and taxpayers will foot the rest of the bill.

Also speaking at the meeting was Jeremy Rodell, chairman of the South West London Humanist Group. He spoke against the idea of a new Roman Catholic secondary school being built in the borough, as reported in the Richmond and Twickenham Times last month.

He said: “When the Pope visits us it will be forgotten in one or two years but if there’s brick and mortar up there, that will be there for decades to come.”

Left with the job of defending the Pope’s visit was religious studies teacher Neil D’Aguiar.

He said: “If you want to go out and protest the pope we’re not going to say you’re wrong to do that but do it for the right reasons.”

A protest march through Central London and a rally near Downing Street has been planned for September 18 when the Pope is due to meet 80,000 pilgrims in Hyde Park.

For more information visit protest-the-pope.org.uk.