Cheating vicar who sent his lover a saucy card faces the sack

A vicar is facing the sack after a tribunal upheld a complaint he had an affair with a married parishioner.

The Reverend David King was reported in October last year to the Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, by businessman James Byrne.

Mr Byrne claimed the vicar, who was married himself, had an affair with his wife Tracy, 44, over a three-year period from 2003.

His evidence included a saucy birthday card with a picture of a semi-naked man that he said was sent by Mr King to his wife.

Yesterday a tribunal sitting at Leeds Crown Court upheld Mr Byrne's complaint that the vicar had been "engaging in conduct inappropriate to the office and work of the clergy".

Mr King now faces being removed permanently from his position.

The hearing – under the Clergy Discipline Measure of 2003 – was controversially held behind closed doors.

A previous Ecclesiastical Judicial Measure allowed for such tribunals to be heard in public.

Mr Byrne said: "The need for the church to be transparent is obvious.

"It undermines the confidence of its supporters and detractors alike if it appears to cloak itself in secrecy."

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Mr King was a vicar in the Whitby area of North Yorkshire until he was suspended in February this year.

The birthday card allegedly sent to Mrs Byrne showed a semi-naked man, his modesty covered only by a yellow square.

Inside the vicar wrote: "With very massive love to you today and every day. Dave XXXXXX."

He added, referring jokingly to the picture of the model on the card: "I am so cross they used my photo without permission."

After the hearing the Bishop of Whitby, the Right Reverend Robert Ladds, said the tribunal's decision made "unhappy reading" for parishioners and those directly affected by Mr King's conduct.

In Mr King's official response to the accusation he denied any misconduct.

He said he had known Mrs Byrne professionally since 2001 and had been a visitor to a care home which she managed.

He said the relationship had been purely professional.

Mr and Mrs Byrne have four sons, James, 15, twins Alex and Oliver, both 12, and Dylan, ten.

Mr Byrne and his wife were divorced in December 2005 after 20 years of marriage.

They had separated in February 2004, but he says that the affair was going on while they were still married.