Scandal-hit priest Alan Sharpe has retired from his parish after his congregation dropped by half.

Father Alan stepped down as chairman of the trust which runs St Patrick's night shelter in Cambridge Road, Hove, last month.

He has now retired as parish priest of St Patrick's Church where congregations have dropped to half last year's average - after 25 years.

The Argus revealed Fr Sharpe, 68, had resigned from his role at the Lorica Trust, which runs the night shelter, over claims about his relationship with a drug addict.

An investigation by the BBC's Inside Out programme suggested he had been supplying David Walker, a young heroin and crack addict who lived with him at the vicarage, with money to buy drugs.

Two members of staff also resigned from the charity last year following "serious allegations".

At Mass today the congregation, led by Reverend Phil Moon, said prayers for Fr Alan and for the future of the parish.

In his sermon Revd Moon gave thanks for the success of the night shelter and the charitable works undertaken by Fr Sharpe.

He said it was a "remarkable ministry" which had done good for the "poor, needy, homeless and vulnerable".

At today's church service the congregation also prayed that people who had stopped attending recently would return in future.

Last year the church's average congregation was estimated to be 100, with 80 adults and 20 under 18s.

The service was attended by a total of about 40 people.

Fr Sharpe established the night shelter in 1985 and it has since been visited by the Queen as well as politicians and celebrities.

The 68-year-old vicar was quoted on the programme as saying: "Everything I have done has been open, as a genuine, heartfelt Christian response to the needs of marginalised people.

"There are no secrets in the way any aspect of the work has been carried out."

Revd Moon, who was given less than a day's notice to prepare the service, explained his sermon to The Argus.

He said: "I was saying that when you go through difficult times it is a good thing to go back to the fundamentals of the Christian faith.

"It has been difficult in the last few weeks for the people here.

"As Christian believers we want to go back to the foundations of our faith and to be reminded that although this means change - Father Alan is going and there is a different future here - the fundamentals stay the same."

The Parochial Church Council of St Patrick's Church is meeting at 7.15pm on Friday.

No-one was available for comment at Father Alan's home.