Father Oliver Learmont is in trouble with his parishioners and neighbours. He owns a dog which has been nicknamed Horrible Hector. The dog attacked a parishioner’s pet dog leaving the owner with a £7000 veterinary bill.
Horrible Hector is a large cross breed or random bred dog which bit the smaller dog which in turn lifted its elderly owner off her feet as she walked past the vicar’s house in North Bradley, Wiltshire, UK.
Father Learmont has lost the confidence of his parish council but he refused to resign. His church choir is refusing to sing.
Parishioners in the village have raised their concerns with Wiltshire Council and the Diocese of Salisbury about the vicar’s couple of Romanian rescue dogs.
They say that he can’t control them and he fails to keep the dogs muzzled. The council has received four complaints about his dogs acting aggressively since January 2022.
One village resident told the local newspaper Wiltshire Times that, “For years the neighbours have put up with his aggressive barking dogs. I have spoken to the vicar multiple times and suggested they need training. For this attack to happen and no one takes responsibility is outrageous and unacceptable, let alone a vicar who would supposedly be of high moral standing.”
Learmont received a vote of no confidence last year at a neighbouring parish where he also serves as a vicar. His defence was that he was being “guided by the Holy Spirit.”
It’s claimed that his congregations have declined and projects such as restoring an 18th-century church have been put on hold while the church choir is at a standstill.
The church council’s treasurer and secretary are standing down and won’t seek re-election.
Learmont has been on sick leave since the end of September last year. A spokesperson for the diocese said that they were dealing with the situation but that it was important to follow procedures.
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