A ROMAN Catholic priest who used to teach at an East Lancashire college has been arrested on suspicion of child abuse.

Detectives from the Metropolitan Police Force’s Child Abuse Investigation Team investigating the alleged sexual abuse of a boy in the 1970s, have arrested former Stonyhurst College teacher Father Paul Symonds.

Fr Symonds, a curate in Ballymena, Co Antrim, Northern Ireland, has already been asked to leave his job while the probe into the sex abuse claim is carried out.

A spokesman for the diocese has confirmed that Fr Symonds was a teacher and assis-tant housemaster at boarding school Stonyhurst in the 1970s.

The Met is taking the lead on the inquiry as the alleged victim, who is in his 40s, now lives in the city.

But the alleged indecent assault against a boy under the age of 16, relates to his time working in Lancashire.

He was questioned and bailed to return to a west London police station in February.

Dr Noel Treanor, the Bishop of Down and Connor told Fr Symond’s parishioners he had stepped down pending the outcome of the investigation.

Fr Symonds left Stonyhurst for a job in Brussels with the Jesuits.

After that, he went to Northern Ireland, first as a priest in Drumbo before moving to Ballymena.

He was prominent in efforts to resolve sectarian problems in the town and was awarded an OBE for his cross-community work.