A BISHOP who was once a rector in Poole will face no further action over indecent assault allegations in the 1980s.
The Bishop of Gloucester, the Rt Rev Michael Perham, 66, will not be facing charges over the claims involving a woman and a girl under 18, Scotland Yard confirmed to the Church of England.
Rector of the Oakdale Team Ministry in Poole from 1984 for eight years, the allegations date back to 1980 and 1981 when he was a curate in Croydon.
The bishop had stepped back from ministry in August and had previously announced his intention to retire in November.
“As in any case where allegations of this nature are made any police investigation is followed by a rigorous process to assess whether there are any ongoing safeguarding issues,” said the Bishop of Durham, the Rt Rev Paul Butler, who is responsible for child protection in the Church of England.
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