The Rt Rev James Jones, formerly Bishop of Hull, was also more concerned with his national profile than his local ministry and helped make his public relations director feel like a "leper", the hearing was told.

The accusations were made by the Rev David Johnston, 56, who yesterday won his claim for unfair dismissal against the Church.

Mr Johnston, of Bolton, was awarded £14,534 after the bench took just 15 minutes to rule he had been fired unfairly from his job as Liverpool Diocese's director of communications.

He was sacked last year after a Sunday newspaper wrongly reported he had started an affair and left his wife for a colleague, Diane Pendleton.

He said the bishop had worked "behind the scenes" to have him dismissed and had publicly lied about offering him and Ms Pendleton support.

Mr Johnston said he told the bishop his 33-year marriage to his estranged wife Margaret was over and his relationship with Ms Pendleton did not begin until the marriage had ended.

An article about the matter, for which Mr Johnston later received an apology, appeared in the People newspaper in November 2006 and days later the bishop issued a statement to the Church Times claiming he had offered the couple advice.

But, in a March 2007 grievance meeting with his employer, the Liverpool Diocesan Board of Finance, Mr Johnston denied the bishop's claim and called him a liar and hypocrite, using "intemperate language".

His remarks were relayed to the bishop and, after being suspended, Mr Johnston was sacked from his £31,500-a-year post in September last year.

Mr Johnston, who is now unemployed, told the hearing: "I had made these comments confidentially in the context of my grievance and they were being taken out of context."