A parish priest has been sacked after touching two people without their consent and stripping down to his boxer shorts for a ‘full immersion’ baptism.

Revd Clive Evans, 62, also touched the bottoms of a woman and a girl in what his diocese called ‘unbecoming’ conduct.

The Church of England said Revd Evans, who was the Vicar of Bromyard and Stoke Lacy in Herefordshire, was initially reluctant to perform the baptism in 2017 as he was going away on holiday with his wife.

But the tribunal stated there was ‘ample opportunity’ for the priest to consider what would be appropriate attire for the service.

‘The panel considers that underwear is intimate apparel,’ it added.

‘It is qualitatively different to, and has different associations from, other forms of clothing, or even of swimwear.

‘As such there is a loss of dignity by stripping down to underwear in the circumstances in which it occurred which is inherently inappropriate and unbecoming.

‘There was no extreme urgency which might conceivably be imagined to justify a state of semi-nakedness and public display of underwear.’

The panel removed him from office and prohibited him from exercising any of the functions of his orders for six months.

He must also complete training courses relating to safeguarding, appropriate working and pastoral boundaries before any ‘recommencement of ministry’.

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