MINEHEAD'S vicar the Rev Simon Lloyd has been suspended following allegations that he had an improper relationship with a woman parishioner.

The action, taken last Friday, was revealed to the congregation at a morning service at St Andrew's Church in the town last Sunday by the Archdeacon of Taunton the Venerable John Reed.

Mr Lloyd, who is married to Susie and has a young daughter, is understood not to have left the family home in Minehead.

But he will not take any services or carry out pastoral duties until an investigation into the allegations has been completed and the issue resolved.

Prebendary John Andrews, communications officer for the Bath and Wells Diocese, told the Free Press yesterday (Thursday) that Mr Lloyd had accepted an invitation to take voluntary suspension when the allegations were put to him.

He said an inquiry was being conducted by Mr Reed and appropriate action would be taken, depending on the outcome.

Mr Andrews said if the allegations were found to be unsubstantiated, Mr Lloyd would be reinstated.

If not, the matter would go to Clergy Disciplinary Measure, which would then involve the Bishop of Bath and Wells the Right Rev Peter Price.

Mr Andrews said services at the Minehead churches would not be disrupted while the inquiry was underway and the pastoral care of the parish would also be taken care of under the guidance of the Rural Dean, the Rev Stephen Stuckes, who is vicar of St Michael's Church, Alcombe.

Mr Lloyd has been in charge of the Minehead parish for the past six years.

A former nurse, he spent ten years working with critically ill children at Birmingham's city hospital, where he met his wife, also a nurse.

He went to school in Bath before studying psychology in Portsmouth and theology in Oxford, going on to work in Derbyshire, Nottingham and the West Midlands.

His last parish before coming to Minehead, Solihull in the West Midlands, had no permanent church building and the congregation met in a school hall for Sunday services.

In complete contrast to his rural posting, Mr Lloyd was also chaplain to Solihull's town centre and the Touchwood Shopping Centre.

During his ten years' service in the town, he helped set up the Solihull Interfaith Dialogue group, working closely with the local Muslim imam.

He was also co-chairman of Churches Together in Central Solihull and for six years served on the Birmingham Diocesan Synod.

At the time of his institution in Minehead, Mr Lloyd said that although he wanted to see more people coming to church, he believed the church should go where the people were.

"I hope to support and encourage Christians in Minehead in all the things they are doing to demonstrate God's love and care to residents and visitors alike," he said.