A LEADING clergyman has called for "the highest standards of personal ethical behaviour" as a way of turning the rising tide of HIV and Aids.

The Bishop of Jarrow, the Right Reverend John Pritchard ,said the church had to advocate high standards of behaviour.

But the bishop, who is due to make the opening address at a conference on HIV and Aids in the North-East today, said this must be accompanied by "the deepest compassion" for those who fall short of those standards.

"We are flawed human beings. We all make mistakes and mess up. None of us can be judgemental," he said.

He added: "We don't often think about the consequences of our actions in a society where instant happiness is one of the chief goals of people's lives."

Meanwhile, figures from the National Aids Trust show that last year the UK saw the highest number of new HIV diagnoses ever recorded.

While the biggest growth is in the South-East, the North-East has also seen an increase in new HIV cases.

Earlier this year, Dr Richard Pattman, who runs the genito-urinary clinic at Newcastle General Hospital, warned that North-East hospitals were being "overwhelmed" by patients seeking specialist help.

By mid-summer his clinic had seen nine new HIV patients, the same total for the whole of last year.

* The conference is organised by the Bishop's Aids Ministry Group for the Diocese of Durham and the Specialist Health Promotion Services in County Durham and Darlington.