Hampshire priest suspended amid indecent assault claims

The rector of a village church has been suspended while he is being investigated by police over an allegation of indecent assault dating back to the early 1990s.

Parishioners at St James CoE Church in Emsworth, Hampshire, and St Thomas a Beckett Church in Warblington were informed by the Bishop of Portsmouth, the Rt Rev Christopher Foster before services on Sunday morning that the Rev Simon Sayers had been suspended from his position.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said that the alleged offence took place in the Islington area of London.

A spokesman for the Diocese of Portsmouth said: "We are aware of an ongoing police investigation into a serious allegation made against the Rev Simon Sayers.

"Because the investigation is ongoing, we can make no further comment at the moment. The bishop has suspended the Rev Simon Sayers while the investigation takes place, and is making alternative arrangements for ministry in the parish. Our prayers are with all of those involved in this difficult situation."