PARISHIONERS were left in the dark over why their priest had been suddenly suspended – and the wall of silence went on for several years.

In 1998, Father Michael Higginbottom arrived in Darlington and, as priest of St Augustine’s Roman Catholic Church, quickly became popular with parishioners, establishing a reputation as a respectable and hard-working man.

Sparking a mystery that lasted more than a decade, the popular priest and former teacher was unexpectedly banished from his parish in 2004.

Church authorities had learned that an ex-pupil of his claimed he was abused by him as a child – but this was not made public at the time.

At Sunday service on December 12 that year, Fr Higginbottom was absent and in his place, Canon Seamus Cunningham told the congregation that their much-loved priest was spending time away from the parish because the diocese had received information that required investigation.

From then on, silence and secrecy shrouded Fr Higginbottom’s suspension, which lasted more than nine years and prompted The Northern Echo to launch its own long-running investigation.

It eventually emerged that the priest’s suspension was related to the time he taught at St Joseph’s College in Lancashire and historic allegations of child abuse involving a 12-year-old boy.

Despite a 2006 investigation by police and social services, which did not come to light until years later, Fr Higginbottom was never charged in relation to the offences but remained suspended – prompting supporters, who were still in the dark over the reasons for his absence, to campaign tirelessly for his return to the parish.

Friends and parishioners repeatedly called for his name to be cleared, criticising the Catholic Church over its failure to reinstate Fr Higginbottom.

Finally in 2013, The Northern Echo uncovered the full extent of the sex abuse allegations levelled at the priest and revealed details of the Catholic Church’s five-figure pay out to his alleged victim.

The Echo’s investigation found that a £35,000 out of court settlement was paid to the former pupil of St Joseph’s College in 2008 following the conclusion of a civil case against the Archbishop of Liverpool, Catholic Diocese trustees of St Joseph’s and Bishop Hugh Lindsay.

The man said he had been abused by his former teacher, Fr Higginbottom, and other priests at the school during the 1970s.

He accused Fr Higginbottom, of fondling his penis, rubbing the inside of his leg and groin and requiring him to be naked in front of him.

As part of the civil case, a second ex-pupil said he had witnessed the priest engaged in inappropriate sexual activity at the school.

After initially contesting the case, the Catholic Church – without admitting liability – settled out of court and the case against Fr Higginbottom was dropped, though his suspension continued.

When quizzed by journalists, Fr Higginbottom said he was not allowed to comment due to an on-going investigation and claimed he had not been aware of the nature of the allegations against him.

The Northern Echo’s resulting expose prompted another man to come forward accusing Fr Higginbottom of abusing him as a pupil at St Joseph’s, which was a Catholic seminary for boys considering becoming priests.

In 2016, the clergyman was arrested and charged with offences after the 52-year-old reported being repeatedly sexually assaulted.

Still suspended from St Augustine’s Church, the pensioner denied eight offences and was tried at Liverpool Crown Court, where yesterday he was found guilty.