AN ALCOHOLIC who outraged public decency by committing a sex act in the grounds of Blackburn Cathedral has been sentenced.

Marie Taylor, 37, of Kirby Road, Ewood, Blackburn, and a man chose what they thought was a secluded alcove in the grounds of the Cathedral, but were being filmed on CCTV.

The verger, Alex Barnes, was in his office on a tea-break with two other staff when they oversaw the romp on a security monitor.

Following the case, Mr Barnes told the Telegraph said: “I used the automated recorded voice which says ‘This is private property, move away from the area, these images are being recorded’. It has been described as the ‘Voice of God’.”

Julie Taylor, prosecuting, told Preston Crown Court today: “The verger was shocked at the sight. He used the loudspeaker address system and they hurriedly gathered their clothes and left.”

The couple were later arrested, but the man - referred to in court only as a ‘Mr Lynch’ - was also arrested but only given a caution.

The court heard the couple’s brief encounter occurred at 11.25am on August 24, when a man approached Taylor and offered her £20 to engage in a sexual act.

Judge Maurice Greene told Taylor: “This took place in the grounds of Blackburn Cathedral.

“These are considered holy grounds and people do not expect behaviour of this sort to take place.

“It is very distressing for people to think that sort of thing is going on where they worship.”

Rachel Woods, for Taylor, said since the incident there had been a ‘remarkable change’ in her client’s demeanour.

Ms Woods said Taylor’s alcohol breath readings had come down from 186 microgrammes - more than five times over the drink-drive limit - to 48 microgrammes, and that she had gone from drinking eight bottles a day to one bottle of sherry a day.

Judge Green took into consideration Taylor’s poor health, but also her ‘extensive’ criminal record, before sentencing her to a 12-month alcohol treatment requirement.

Taylor’s offence was committed while she was subject to a two-year suspended sentence for inflicting knife wounds on another woman during an altercation. The judge ordered that to continue and added a residency requirement as a further sanction.