A CATHEDRAL bellringer banned because of his alleged inappropriate behaviour with children has failed in a "hopeless" High Court bid for reinstatement.

The "talented and enthusiastic bellringer", who cannot be identified, was accused of spending time alone with young ringers and taking them out drinking.

He was also said to have made "sexually embarrassing" posts on Facebook and to have "no concept of social and sexual boundaries".

He denied doing anything inappropriate and top judge, Mr Justice Coulson, said there was "no question of any criminal conduct" on his part.

But his days ringing the bells were brought to an end in February last year when he was thrown out of Worcester Cathedral's bellringing guild.

In July, he was also asked to sign an agreement that placed conditions on his bell-ringing in any church within the diocese of Worcester.

The man - who is in his 30s and was referred to only as T - mounted a judicial review challenge, claiming he had been unfairly treated and his human rights violated.

But the judge today threw out his claim, clearing the cathedral authorities of bias and ruling that his treatment was "proportionate".

The cathedral's ringing master, Mark Regan, had complained bitterly about T, saying his behaviour had caused "everything from minor irritation to severe distress".

He said in an email that T had received "many warnings" but had repeatedly flouted rules designed to safeguard children and young people.

An investigation was carried out by the diocese's safeguarding officer, Maria Johnson, and she interviewed a total of 14 young ringers.

A teenage girl complained in a statement about T's "touchy feely" behaviour and claimed that he had "flirted" with her.

Describing some of his comments as "pervy", she said over 30,000 Facebook messages had passed between them in just three years.

Another girl, aged 14 or 15, complained about T's behaviour after she shared a tent with him on a camping trip.

The judge said that some of the hundreds of Facebook contacts between T and that girl "used code words including one for an erect penis".

He added that the "overall impression" of the messages was that they were "heavily laden with sexual innuendo".

The judge said there were "real concerns" about the "most troubling" messages, in one of which he invited the girl to watch a video at his home.

Dismissing T's judicial review challenge, Mr Justice Coulson said the findings of fact made against him were "proportionate".

There had been "no actual or apparent bias" on the part of the diocesan authorities and the decision had not been "pre-determined".

Bell ringing was just a "hobby" for T, said the judge, and there was no hope of his challenge succeeding.

Mr Justice Coulson ruled that, in any event, the Bishop of Worcester and the Chapter of Worcester Cathedral were not "public authorities".

T's human rights were therefore "not engaged" and the decisions against him were "not susceptible" to judicial review.

The judge ordered that nothing must be published that might tend to identify T or any of the children or young people involved.

T had "resolutely declined" the cathedral authorities' offer of anonymity, but the judge made an anonymity order on his own initiative.

A spokesperson for the Diocese of Worcester said: “Both Worcester Cathedral and the Diocese of Worcester take all safeguarding issues very seriously and acted immediately when allegations in this case were raised. 

"The judge today has confirmed that the safeguards we have in place are entirely appropriate. We remain very concerned for the young people affected and we are committed to making our church a safer place for all children and young people. “