Chapter puts Dean under renewed pressure to go

The Dean of Lincoln, the Very Rev Brandon Jackson, came under renewed pressure to resign last night after a meeting of the General Chapter of the Cathedral passed a resolution asking the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr George Carey, to resolve the crisis at the cathedral and sack him, writes Andrew Brown.

The idea has already been suggested by a majority of the cathedral staff, by the Bishop of Lincoln, the Rt Rev Robert Hardy, and by the sub- Dean and treasurer of the Cathedral, Canon Rex Davis, with whom Dr Jackson has been feuding since his appointment in 1989.

However, the Dean has rejected the moves since his acquittal last year on charges of adultery with Verity Freestone, a former cathedral verger.

But the Bishop's personal assistant, Canon Raymond Rodger, said last night: "People feel matters here are so bad that they can only be resolved by a change of personnel.

Last night Dr Carey's office said that he shared the chapter's "widespread anxiety" but could not comment further.