THE future of a drink driving vicar was today hanging in the balance as heads of the church prepared to meet and determine his position.

The Bishop of Burnley, the Rt Rev John Goddard, along with parishioners and members of the community wrote letters to the court in support of the Rev John Gibson Haigh, who was spared jail after admitting being nearly four times the drink driving limit on the motorway.

Haigh, 55, parish priest at St Mark's C of E Church, Rossendale Road, Burnley, has now been sent to work in one of Burnley's most deprived areas as part of his community order sentence.

He was stopped by police after being spotted swerving across the M65 near Accrington in the middle of the afternoon. He had been "well under the influence of drink", a court was told.

Today the Bishop said: "I will be meeting with John to discuss his future through a very careful and disciplined response.

"I am sure it's the right sentence and it says something about the way which our magistrates operate.

"We have here somebody who has made a real hash of things but is a deeply committed community person.

"While John was awaiting sentence he did not conduct any public ministry and during this time parishioners spoke to me and told me about all the positive things he has been doing in the community."

He added: "It would be wrong to jump to any quick conclusion until I have spoken to John and taken advice. It can't be an isolated decision."

"I will be consulting with the church and members of the community along with John himself to find the best way forward.

"The decision of the church must be to reflect on the sentence and how best we can serve the local community. In doing that it's a very careful decision that will have to be made and I don't want to rush to a conclusion that would in any way be seen as unfavourable."

At Burnley Magistrates' Court Michael Cunningham, prosecuting, said police stopped Haigh on Accrington Road, Burnley, after information from an off-duty officer about the way the defendant's Skoda had been driven on the motorway.

It was thought he had been drinking and these suspicions were confirmed when an officer spoke to the defendant. He was taken to the police station where the lower of two breath tests showed 125 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath - the legal limit is 35.

But Rachel Adamson, defending, said Haigh had a drink problem and wanted assistance. She said prison would not only hurt him, but deprive the community of their parish priest.

Bench chairman Roy Cunliffe said without the support of the defendant's family, parishioners and friends they would have found it very hard to spare him jail.

Haigh was given a community punishment order of 80 hours and an 18-month rehabilitation order and banned for 30 months. He must also pay £55 costs. The defendant, of Rossendale Road, Burnley, had admitted driving with excess alcohol on September 2. He will carry out the community punishment at Daneshouse and Stoneyholme Youth and Community Centre.

The Bishop added: "For many people in our community drink driving is seen as socially acceptable, it cannot be, it's dangerous.

"John Haigh has had a remarkable impact on one of our poorest areas in Burnley and we have received many moving letters and phone calls not only from the church people but from people who have no church connections at all.

"It must be seen that he accepts the seriousness of the incident and in the meantime I will be meeting with him and will be seeking to put in place proper pastoral care and counselling for him to ensure this doesn't happen again."