A North Yorkshire vicar was today said to be devastated after his wife left him for a fellow chorister at his church.

The Reverend David Reynolds, Vicar of St Wilfrid's, Brayton, is being comforted by friends and local clergymen after his wife, Christine, disappeared just over a week ago.

Mrs Reynolds, a Sunday school helper and religious education teacher, is believed to be living with her new love, Cliff Broadhead, at a secret address in the south of England.

The runaway couple both sang in the church choir and were long-time members of Brayburn Singers.

Mrs Reynolds, who is in her early 50s, was a part-time RE teacher at Brayton High School, where deputy head Steve Payne confirmed she had handed in her resignation with immediate effect.

It is the third time in the past five years that a clergyman connected with Brayton has been involved in marriage splits.

In 1993, the Reverend Bob Rogers - a former Vicar of St Wilfrid's and Rural Dean of Selby - announced after moving to Malton that he was remarrying in a love-swap involving a former chorister.

And in 1996, former Selby coalfield industrial chaplain and Brayton team ministry member, the Reverend Ron Mitchinson, left his wife for a blonde 20 years his junior.

Parishioners at Brayton have been left shell-shocked by the latest marital escapade.

Mr Reynolds, 58, a former Vicar of All Saints', Sherburn-in-Elmet, was also Vicar of Fulford between 1983 and 1987 before moving to a new post in Cornwall. He has been at St Wilfrid's for the last seven years.

He said: "It's a personal matter and I have no comment to make."

The couple have a son, Paul, 18, a student at York Sixth Form College.

At her home in Meadowcroft, Brayton, Mr Broadhead's wife, Dorothy, declined to comment.

The Bishop of Selby, the Rt Rev Humphrey Taylor, has been informed, and Mr Reynolds has been visited by the Rural Dean of Selby, the Rev Gwynne Richardson.

Mr Richardson said: "Along with other colleagues in the deanery, I am giving whatever support and help I can to help David through this very sad time.

"He's a very good friend of mine and extremely well thought of by all his parishioners, and our thoughts are with him and his family."I am sure David will continue to do a very valuable job at St Wilfrid's, as he has done for the past seven years."

Churchwarden Tony Williams said: "It has come as a tremendous shock to everyone. It's all very sad, and we're offering Mr Reynolds whatever support we can."

The bizarre affair involving Mr Rogers occurred in 1993 after he moved to Malton from Brayton. He married the former wife of a chorister - 18 months after his own wife, Wendy, left him for the chorister.

This was followed in November, 1996, by another ecclesiastic liaison which rocked Selby. The Evening Press revealed that recently-retired Mr Mitchinson had left his wife, Freda, to set up home in York with his new love,Diana Hancox, from Brayton. A former teacher, Mrs Hancox was a regular worshipper at St Wilfrid's.

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