The Archbishop of York's Easter Sunday address was interrupted by a heckler who had to be ejected from the Minster.

The man, who was dressed as a priest, stood up in the nave of the Minster as Dr David Hope approached the pulpit to begin his televised address.

Cameras did not pick up the disturbance, but a member of the congregation, who did not wish to be named, told the Press afterwards: "He was ranting and raving, shouting abuse at the Archbishop for about five to six minutes. A couple of people had to remove him.

"I couldn't really tell what he was saying. I think he mentioned homosexuality."

Minster spokesman Brigadier Peter Lyddon, who is responsible for security at the Minster and was one of those who helped escort the man from the cathedral, today played down the incident.

He said: "Anybody can stand up at any time and say something. These things can happen. It only happened this time because of the TV cameras.

"It was a load of rubbish, anti-everything. It was anti-church, anti-televising church events, it went on about homosexuality and deprived people. He was urging Christians not to go to church."

Brig Lyddon said he and a Minster policemen led the man outside and calmed him down. He promised not to return inside until the service was over.

The man was later identified as an ordained priest, the Rev Jonathan Blake, who left the Church of England in 1994 and is now without a parish or a licence to perform weddings, funerals or other religious services.

A spokesman for Dr Hope said today the Archbishop had carried on with his address after waiting for the heckler to be ejected.

BBC spokeswoman Hellen Martin said the live Songs of Praise broadcast, watched by about half a million people, had not been interrupted.

She said: "It was not picked up by the microphones. There was a brief pause while he was ejected from the Minster."There were 1,600 people at the service.

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