The Vicar at the centre of allegations of bullying and indimidation is to be sacked by the Church of England, according to a ruling today.

A rare church tribunal was "unanimous" that there had been a breakdown of pastoral relations after Rev Tom Ambrose, 60, Vicar of St Mary and St Michael in Trumpington, was accused of being a "bully and a liar" and of spitting at one of his church wardens.

Although the hearing took place last September, the tribunal's unanimous findings were only published today and the full 37-page judgement will not be released until the appeals process is exhausted.

In last year's hearing, Dr Ambrose was accused of bringing his once “thriving parish” to breaking point. Church wardens resigned, volunteers left and Dr Ambrose ignored the parochial church council, the hearing was told.

The tribunal, which sat in a church court convened in St Mary le Bow the City of London, heard that he once gave a Power Point presentation instead of a sermon on Christmas Day. He also sent hate e-mails and made personal attacks on “opponents” during sermons, it was claimed.

Dr Ambrose, once regarded as one of the Church’s leading communications strategist, gained a reputation for bravery when, about ten years ago, he knocked down a cornered thief in Newmarket, standing over him until the police arrived.

Justin Gau, representing the parish parochial church council, said: “This is a very sad case — it is in fact an old-fashioned divorce caused by irretrievable breakdown between a priest and his parish. Dr Ambrose is a square peg in a round hole. He has talent, he is intelligent and learned, but he is also a bully and a liar. He would lose his temper if he did not get his own way, and he was incapable of believing the beliefs of others if they did not fit his own. He brought a thriving parish to its knees.

“Churchwarden after churchwarden resigned, volunteers left, and his answer was always to attack. He told bold lies and ordered people to leave the parish if they did not agree with him. They lost all trust in him, and if there is no trust between the parish and the priest then the mission of the Church of England has failed.”

Dr Ambrose, who moved to Trumpington in 1999, told the tribunal that the congregation turned against him when he attempted to introduce innovations such as lavatories. When church warden, Marilyn Orson, complained to the bishop, Dr Ambrose went to her home. Mrs Orson told the hearing: “He called me a liar. I am not a liar and I was very distressed by this. We spent a very long time putting the letter together in a reasonable way because we thought it would spare everyone’s blushes.”

Mrs Orson said: “I was actually really frightened of him. At one point he was towering over me and shouting at me and I actually thought he was going to grab my shoulders and shake me or hit me."

In a statement today the diocese said the Bishop of Ely, the Dr Anthony Russell, had received the report of the of the tribunal whose members were “united in being satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that serious pastoral breakdown has occurred in Trumpington parish.”

In setting out their recommendations, they state: “All findings of this tribunal are unanimous.”

They continue: “We recommend that the bishop executes a declaration of avoidance declaring the benefice of Trumpington to be vacant..... We do not consider that the serious pastoral breakdown in Trumpington parish can be remedied if Dr Ambrose remains as the Vicar there.”

The Bishop has asked that any representations be submitted in writing within the next 21 days, after which he will decide what action is to be taken.

Dr Ambrose was unavailable for comment.