Bishop of Lincoln arrested in sexual assault inquiry

The Bishop of Lincoln, the Right Reverend Stephen Conway, has been arrested on suspicion of sexual assault.

Lincolnshire Police said an arrest of a 68-year-old man was part of an "ongoing investigation following an allegation that a man was sexually assaulted between 2018 and 2025".

Earlier, the Church of England said Conway had been suspended from ministry while a "safeguarding complaint" was being investigated, and had been passed to the "relevant authorities".

The bishop has been released on conditional bail. The BBC has contacted him for comment.

The Diocese of Lincoln confirmed to the BBC that the initial complaint against Conway was made to the Church of England's national safeguarding team at the end of January.

In a statement on its website, it added The Bishop of Grantham, Dr Nicholas Chamberlain, would act as the Diocesan Bishop during the suspension period and "support was in place for those affected".

It added: "We understand that this will be a deeply unsettling time."

Conway, who is also a member of the House of Lords, was formally installed as the Bishop of Lincoln in November 2023.

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