If you work for the Church of England then you are likely to have heard about the parish of Edmonton, North London. It is widely known to be a hot bed of gay happenings and camp queens. The area is regarded as having the highest proportion of actively gay clergy in the country.

‘Easter’, Michael Arditti`s controvercial book, shines the spotlight on the area and delves into it`s reputation for sadomasochism, heavy drinking, and the female names by which some of the clergy are known.

"The novel is set in London," said Arditti, "but I believe it is a portrait of the Church of England in crisis, with liberal clergy squeezed out by small-minded fundamentalists and doctrinaire Catholics."

Michael Hare Duke, former bishop of St Andrews, said: "What the book describes doesn`t surprise me at all. It is important that people acknowledge the truth about their sexuality and do not push others into the closet by their denial."

Mike Way, another priest based in London, said: "This book reveals and lays bare a complex reality. While the church claims to be teaching and preaching the truth, it has blind spots and is unable to deal with the truth about itself."

In order to create a realistic atmosphere for his story the author spoke to more than 20 clergy about their sexuality and sought advice from church leaders, including two bishops and a former dean of Westminster. Although you wouldn’t have to search too hard for evidence.

In 1991 Paul De Fortis, a priest, was found dead at his vicarage in Hampstead on Christmas Eve. An inquest found he had died by autoerotic asphyxiation after suspending himself from a chain while naked and surrounded by pornography.

In 1994 another Edmonton priest was moved from St George`s, Bloomsbury, when it was revealed that parties involving gay sex and drugs had been held in the crypt and church. It was said that the altar had been used for sex.

Colin Coward, a priest of the Southwark diocese, said Brian Masters, the late bishop of Edmonton, created the climate of intrigue. "He cultivated a sub-culture in which the participants knew what was going on but everyone else was excluded. Many priests had active sexual lives and the bishop gave them tacit approval. In turn, they formed close relationships with him."

Another priest said: "Brian always wanted pretty boys around him."

A priest who left Edmonton for another diocese said last night: "I recall my shock when I joined five other priests in a gay club, only to discover that they were all involved in sadomasochistic sex."

Despite the work of the Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement, who want to see open acceptance of gay priests, the Church of England does not have a good track record for accepting lesbians and gay men.

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