The Dean of Winchester, the Very Revd Michael Till, gave evidence at the trial of a former colleague accused of molesting a 13-year-old choirboy.

Clive McCleester (57), who was custos at the cathedral until 2000 before taking up his present post as verger to the Queen, was cleared of indecent assault at the Inner London Crown Court on Wednesday.

He was alleged to have committed the offence after preparing a meal for the teenager and plying him with wine at his vicarage flat in 1986, while he was verger at Southwark Cathedral.

The boy, who was now 31, had said the former Benedictine monk sexually assaulted him after allowing him to play Space Invaders on his computer.

The jury heard he had befriended the boy during choir practice but Mr McCleester said the story was "a pack of lies".

Giving evidence, he said that there was no reason he could think of why the boy would make the allegation against him.

He said he gave the boy only a "token amount" of wine and said he informed his boss at Southwark Cathedral that he had invited him over for a meal.

Speaking as a character witness, Mr Till said: "He was someone to be trusted and relied upon for the work we had to do. For children, we have a duty of care to all of them. His conduct was totally professional."

Mr McCleester trained as a Benedictine monk in Hampshire for two and a half years. He worked as an accountant and at a children's home in Eltham, South London, before becoming verger at Southwark Cathedral in 1982, where he remained until 1992.

He worked at Winchester Cathedral until 2000, before taking on the job as Dean's verger at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, where he has been responsible for tending the Queen Mother's tomb.

The court heard that Mr McCleester, of Brook Road, Dollis Hill, north-west London, had been off sick with high blood pressure and depression since December.