Church of England bishops have spoken up in support of a Christian counsellor who faces being struck off after giving therapy to a gay man.

Lesley Pilkington was found guilty of professional misconduct by the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) after a complaint was lodged against her by client Patrick Strudwick.

Strudwick, a freelance journalist, approached Mrs Pilkington for help at a Christian conference where he posed as a Christian struggling with same-sex attraction.

They had two therapy sessions at her home, during which Mr Strudwick secretly recorded their conversations.

He then published an article about his experience in a newspaper and reported Mrs Pilkington to the BACP.

Mrs Pilkington will appeal the BACP’s ruling against her in a hearing on Wednesday.

She claims she was “denied a fair hearing” the first time round and that the BACP had failed to properly consider the evidence.

The former Archbishop of Canterbury, Lord Carey, the former Bishop of Rochester Michael Nazir-Ali, and the Bishop of Chester Peter Forster are backing her, among others.

They defended the right for people with unwanted same-sex attractions to receive professional help.

“We believe that people who seek, freely, to resolve unwanted same-sex attractions hold the moral right to receive professional assistance,” they said.

“Whether motivated by Christian conscience or other values, clients not practitioners have the prerogative to choose the yardstick by which to define themselves.

“Not everyone stakes their identity on sexual feelings. Competent practitioners, including those working with biblical Judeo-Christian values, should be free to assist those seeking help.”

Mrs Pilkington is being supported in her appeal by the Christian Legal Centre (CLC).

CLC Director Andrea Williams said: “Lesley Pilkington has been the subject of an ongoing, premeditated attack by a homosexual activist whose aim was to remove her from her profession and to make a political point.

"Her professional body has failed to protect her. She has not had a fair trial and all attempts at making her case have been thwarted.

"It is time to stand up to a militant homosexual lobby who are unable to tolerate difference of opinion and who seek to coerce behaviour and thought.”