Protesters camping in the grounds of a Westcountry cathedral have hit out at ecclesiastical authorities, questioning their Christian ethics as they take legal steps to evict the illegal tented village from Church land.

The "Occupy" group that has been camped in the grounds of Exeter Cathedral for the last 10 weeks vowed to fight attempts by Church authorities to remove them and accused the acting dean, Canon Carl Turner, and his team of ignoring attempts to engage with protesters. They claimed the Church were instead simply standing back and accusing them of encouraging homeless people to the camp, stirring up antisocial behaviour and damaging its usually pristine lawns.

But the Cathedral Chapter insists its staff, members of the public and children at the Cathedral School have been distressed by abuse and intimidation.

Police say there has been a significant rise in the number of incidents they have had to respond to on Cathedral Green. And yesterday, a Western Morning News photographer was subject to verbal abuse from the camp.

He was approached by a man who appeared to be staying in the camp, who threatened him if he did not delete photographs he had taken, saying: "I will find you and I will shoot you."

One of the Occupy protesters apologised for the behaviour.

It appears to be indicative of a divide within the camp, between protesters and homeless people who have tagged on to the tent village, where free food is distributed by supporters.

The Western Morning News understands the protesters have asked some people to leave, but they have stayed regardless.

The Cathedral and the Diocese of Exeter announced last week that they were beginning legal steps to evict the protesters' camp, which has been set up along one side of the imposing medieval building on Cathedral Green since November. It follows court action by Church authorities in other parts of the country, including London and Bristol, to stop similar protests.

"Whose interests do they represent, we ask," wrote protesters in a wide-ranging 1,800-word statement issued on their Occupy website. "We are left wondering what the cathedral really thinks about economic and social justice."

Last week the Cathedral Chapter announced "with regret" that it would take legal action after the protesters rejected its offer for a "semi-permanent space" on the green in return for removing the camp. It said: "The Chapter is very disappointed by the response received to our proposal, which we believe offered a constructive way of ensuring that the issues of economic and social injustice – which concern us all – are kept in the public arena.

"The Cathedral Green is both a sacred space and a burial ground. The Chapter wishes to ensure it can be enjoyed by all the people of Exeter, and its occupation by one protest group is preventing this. There have been numerous incidents on site of antisocial behaviour, intimidation, drug abuse and vandalism, which have led to frequent call-outs to the police."

The protesters deny many of the claims made by the diocese and said they would fight any attempts to move them on through legal means, adding: "We say to the cathedral authorities, as they consider legal action against us: it's not too late to talk. Come back to the table and let's work it out.

"Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us.

"It's not a question of what Jesus would do – but what you will do."