The Daily Telegraph's religion editor, George Pitcher, has quit the paper after serving two years in the role.

Pitcher began his career as a reporter and won several plaudits as the industrial editor of the Observer in the early 1990s. He also founded the City PR firm Luther Pendragon.

However, he has been criticised for his extreme liberal approach, especially by some hard-line conservative Anglicans and Catholics.

Pitcher also serves as a priest in the Church of England and has had strong and regular connections with St Bride's on Fleet Street, known as "the journalists' church".

He was hired by the Telegraph's former editor-in-chief Will Lewis in May 2008.