My sadness, by gay cleric

The gay cleric forced to withdraw as Bishop of Reading today said a "great majority" of the town's Christians were willing to welcome him.

In a letter to a local paper, Canon Jeffrey John said he was "saddened and disappointed" not to be taking up the post. He had received "an avalanche of kindness" since deciding to step aside.

But he called on supporters not to quit the Church of England in protest. "Love wins in the end," he said.