Not one person has left the protest camp outside St Paul's Cathedral since a legal eviction notice was served giving them 24 hours to quit, activists said.

The City of London Corporation has told the protesters to move tents and equipment from the public highway by 6pm or face High Court action.

Instead of packing up, protesters have been discussing putting up Christmas decorations as they prepare for a lengthy legal battle.

A spokesman for the camp said he was not aware of anyone leaving the site outside the cathedral, where anti-capitalist protesters have been pitched since October 15, and no efforts had been made to move tents.

"I've even heard people talking about when to put up Christmas decorations," he said. "We have a legal team in place. We would ask that the City of London Corporation step up and enter into dialogue with us. These tactics are deflecting from the real issues."

John Cooper QC, who is representing the protest camp pro bono, will meet protesters outside St Paul's Cathedral later.

Then, at 6pm, protesters will mark the passing of the corporation's deadline by raising hands in silence for one minute.

Nathan Cravens, 27, who runs the camp library, said: "The general feeling is excitement at the moment. It's brought us together." He said there is "concern" among protesters at the camp, but the overall emotion was "positive", adding: "For me, I'll leave the day they say they're going to evict."

The City of London Corporation, the local authority which runs the Square Mile, has expressed concern over "worrying trends" at the camp, including late-night drinking, and said companies near the cathedral had complained about losing business. Some of the tents are pitched on the footpath next to the shops surrounding the cathedral, with the remainder in the grounds of St Paul's itself.

A spokeswoman for the cathedral - which has ditched its own proposed legal action - said it was looking for a "peaceful resolution" but admitted it had faced "challenges" since the camp was pitched a month ago.