The Bishop of Lincoln, the Right Reverend Stephen Conway, has been arrested on suspicion of sexual assault.
Lincolnshire Police confirmed a 68-year-old man had been arrested as part of an “ongoing investigation following an allegation that a man was sexually assaulted between 2018 and 2025”.
Bishop Conway has been released on conditional bail.
Earlier, a statement shared on the Diocese of Lincoln website confirmed the bishop had been “suspended from ministry” following a complaint to the Church of England’s national safeguarding team.
The statement said “support is in place for those affected”, and a referral had been made to the “appropriate statutory authorities”.
No details of the complaint were given.
The statement added: “We understand that this will be a deeply unsettling time”.
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The Bishop of Grantham, the Right Reverend Dr Nicholas Chamberlain, will be standing in during the suspension.
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Bishop Conway has been Bishop of Lincoln since 2023, and has previously served as Bishop of Ramsbury and Bishop of Ely.
He has been a member of the House of Lords since 2014.
Sky News has contacted Bishop Conway for comment.
