An evangelical group in the Church of England is asking for legal advice issued on the appointment of celibate gay bishops to be withdrawn.

In a statement, Reform said the legal advice issued by Church House this week "should never have been published".

The guidance set down in writing that homosexuality should not be a barrier to becoming a bishop.

It was written to bring the Church of England's policy on appointing bishops up to speed with the Equality Act.

It has been sent out to members of the General Synod, the Church's parliamentary body, but will not be debated when they convene for the next session in York next month.

Synod member and Reform chairman, the Rev Rod Thomas said: "This gives the impression that the Church of England has decided that it is acceptable for candidates for the episcopacy to be in civil partnerships.

"However, no such decision has been taken by the Church and as a matter of law it is within its rights to prevent such a thing happening.”

The legal advice states that it is up to those involved in individual appointment processes to decide whether they want to take into account a candidate’s civil partnership.

It also implies that it is up to clergy to decide whether any expression of repentance for past same-sex activity is needed by the candidate.

Mr Thomas said: “This goes far beyond anything the Church has decided to permit and opens up the possibility of a bishop being appointed who, whilst being celibate, is in a civil partnership and openly opposes the Church’s teaching on marriage.

“To be in a civil partnership is to be seen as having forged a lifelong bond with someone of the same sex; to have created family ties; and to have engaged in a commitment similar to marriage.

"A bishop vows to protect the church’s teaching both by what he says and by the way he lives. This is immediately compromised when he engages in a civil partnership."

He added: "If the Church no longer wants bishops to support the Bible’s teaching on marriage and sexual relations, it is not up to a legal office to hint at it. It must be decided by the House of Bishops and affirmed by the General Synod."

Mr Thomas said he would write to the Secretary General of the General Synod to ask that the legal advice be withdrawn and that new advice be issued.

If his request is ignored, Mr Thomas warned that the issue would be "firmly" addressed at the Synod itself.