The allegations were made as the complainant, now an associate priest, was giving evidence during the trial of retired clergyman, formerly known as the Venerable Granville Gibson.

Eighty-year-old Mr Gibson, from Darlington, the ex-Archdeacon of Auckland, denies eight counts of indecent assault and one further serious sexual assault.

All the alleged offending stems from the late 1970s and early eighties, when the defendant was vicar at St Clare's Church, in Newton Aycliffe.

The alleged victims include two male teenagers and a church novice, in his mid-20s at the time.

That complainant took to the witness stand on the third day of the trial, at Durham Crown Court.

He said he initially found Mr Gibson "charming" and "friendly", but within two months began having concerns, particularly with his "embarrassingly long hugs".

The witness said today (Wednesday, July 27) in one incident in the church hall, Mr Gibson grabbed him, pressed himself up against the young churchman, who said the vicar was in an obvious state of arousal.

He told the court: "I thought 'Oh my God, what's going on here', and pulled away.'

"He acted as if nothing had happened and said: 'Are you okay', and I didn't know what to do.

"It was like an invitation that you had turned down."

He said he complained to Mr Gibson, who told him he was concerned as he was having same sex affairs, but he later claimed, "the demons of homosexuality had been cast out of him."

The young churchman complained to the Bishop of Durham, at the time, John Habgood, but was later told that Mr Gibson denied doing anything inappropriate and that was the end of the matter.

He was given the choice of either continuing to work with Mr Gibson or transferring parishes.

But having refused to do either he retired from the Church.

Asked in cross-examination by defence counsel, Andrew Stubbs: "Your narrative now is that there has been a massive cover up by the Church of England?

He replied: "Yes. I did my duty and paid the consequences of that."

The trial continues.