THE BISHOP of Blackburn, the Rt Rev Alan Chesters, has denied accusations that the Church covered up an eight-year affair between one of its most senior East Lancashire clerics and the daughter of a church organist.

Canon Dennis Crook, the 56-year-old former vicar of St John's, Accrington, and St Augustine's, Huncoat, resigned after news of his affair with 38-year-old Mrs Katrina Lowe began to be the talk of the pews.

At first Mr Crook said he was retiring on health grounds but in a Sunday newspaper Mrs Lowe poured out her heart and claimed Mr Crook was the father of her 18-month-old daughter Emily.

Now Mr Crook's career is in tatters. His wife, Toni, is a local magistrate.

And Mrs Lowe's 13-year marriage is set to end in divorce, with Mr Crook cited in the petition.

In the newspaper, Mrs Lowe, who formerly lived in Bedford Court, Blackburn, claimed that the Church had known about the adulterous affair for many years but had turned a blind eye to it until it was impossible to ignore any longer.

However, a spokesman for Bishop Chesters denied that there had been any cover-up and claimed the matter had only come to light several weeks ago.

The Bishop's Press spokesman Richard Steel said: "As soon as a specific allegation had been made the Bishop investigated it.

"Following discussions, Canon Crook decided to resign.

"The Bishop very much regrets what has happened and he hopes that all those involved will be given the privacy they need as they seek to rebuild their lives."

Mrs Lowe's mother Mrs Gloria Milek, the organist at St Augustine's Church, Huncoat, said she had only found out about the affair four weeks ago.

"I feel I've got my daughter back after eight years of deceit," she said.

"I'm very upset and let down. I've known the Canon for ten years.

"My main concern now is for my family and the sooner this dies down, the better. Of course what the papers have said is true, but if he had been an ordinary person, we would never have had all this fuss."

Her daughter, Katrina, told The Mail On Sunday that her friendship with Mr Crook began when she was a helper and he was Rural Dean of Accrington.

She claimed the friendship developed into an affair at Mr Crook's instigation while her husband was working away from home a lot.

She said: "We would meet four times a week and talk on the phone three or four times a day.

"He would be my wake-up call and the person I would talk to last thing at night. I shared everything with him."

She claimed further that she knew her daughter, Emily, was Mr Crook's child as she had stopped having sex with her husband, Charles.

Her husband has now left her and is citing Mr Crook in the divorce petition. Mr Crook and his wife are also understood to have left the vicarage in Queens Road, Accrington.

In a final statement to parishioners Mr Crook admitted that there had been "things in the recent past which I regret" and appealed for their forgiveness.

He added: "I am sorry for the hurt which has been caused to my family, my friends and the church.

"I know many people will feel let down but I hope that in time they will feel able to forgive me."

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