Sacking over senior bishop insult

A member of the Archbishop of Canterbury's staff has been sacked for insulting the Bishop of Rochester in an official document.

The worker wrote the obscenity next to the Rt Rev Michael Nazir-Ali's comments on a vicar's job inquiry.

Forty three Church of England Bishops and Downing Street were sent the document earlier in the year.

The Church of England has confirmed that a member of staff had been dismissed over the issue.

A Church of England spokesman said: "When this came to light there was an immediate investigation.

"The person responsible admitted to it and was summarily dismissed."

The Rt Rev Michael Nazir-Ali boycotted the Lambeth Conference in July in protest at the presence of those who had supported the openly gay bishop Gene Robinson who was ordained in New Hampshire, in the US, in 2003.

In February the Bishop of Rochester said he had received threats against himself and his family after he was quoted in a newspaper saying Islamic extremism had made some places no-go areas for non-Muslims.

Communities and Local Government Secretary Hazel Blears said the bishop's comments were "unhelpful" and she did not recognise his description of "no-go areas" at the time.

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