A prominent Church of England bishop was under pressure last night to explain the circumstances in which he lost his belongings and suffered a bump on the head after a night out in Belgravia.

The Bishop of Southwark, Dr Tom Butler, a regular speaker on Thought for the Day on BBC Radio 4, was keeping a low profile yesterday as concern and confusion about his behaviour mounted.

Prayers were offered at a number of Sunday services in the diocese for the bishop and Barbara, his wife, who found him bruised and bloodied on the doorstep of Bishop’s House, Tooting Bec, South London, late on Tuesday night.

Privately, Dr Butler, 66, told friends that he was mugged and he reported the loss of his mobile phone, briefcase and spectacles to police in Lambeth, South London. The bang to the head, it seemed, deprived the bishop of the ability to recall exactly what happened as he made his way home.

But over the weekend the diocesan office dropped all references to a mugging and admitted that he had had a drink or two at a Christmas party on the night in question. There was no answer from Dr Butler or his aides to direct questions about whether he was inebriated or still considered that he had been the victim of a crime.

The lack of a clear explanation from the bishop is causing consternation in the Church. Dr Butler has a reputation among junior clergy as a disciplinarian.

The chain of events began on Tuesday night at the Irish Embassy near Hyde Park Corner where the bishop was a guest of Daithi O’Ceallaigh, the Ambassador, at his annual party.

The guest list included Dame Eliza Manningham-Buller, the head of MI5, and the bishop was in jovial mood as he enjoyed the hospitality.

The next morning, however, Dr Butler’s head was so badly bruised that he was unable to wear his mitre for a ceremony at All Saints, Dulwich. His spokeswoman told The Times that she was unable to ask him what the matter was because she was unable to contact him. “The muggers stole his mobile phone,” she explained.

Another version of events has emerged, however, from drinkers at The Suchard in Crucifix Lane, a bar near London Bridge station. Paul and Nicola Sumpter, who were in the bar on Tuesday night, were alerted to the fact that a silver-haired man appeared to have climbed into their Mercedes and was throwing their child’s toys around on the back seat. Paul Sathaporn, 55, the barman, said: “The owner of the car ran outside and pulled the man out of the back seat. The man sat down on the ground, obviously drunk. Then he decided to lie down. The car owner came back in and said, ‘He’s got a lump on his head so you’d better call 999.’”

Mr Sathaporn said that the man had refused the offer of an ambulance then, after a few minutes, stood up and staggered off into the night. He added: “We were all laughing and saying, ‘Look what he’s doing.’ It was funny to see him swaying from side to side. The car owner said to me, ‘Can you believe he says he’s a bishop?’” A bag of personal belongings was later found in the car and handed over to police. Dr Butler’s spokeswoman said that the bishop’s belongings had been found and returned.

She added: “The bishop was at a reception in Belgravia on Tuesday. He left to come home on public transport and when he got home he didn’t have his briefcase or his mobile phone and he had fresh wounds to his head. He was at the party with others and he was having a glass of wine.”

A spokesman for Scotland Yard said no arrests had been made and inquiries continue.

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