THE Bishop of Bath and Wells has revealed he has leukaemia.

The Rt Rev Peter Hancock is likely to be in hospital for a month receiving treatment for acute myeloid leukaemia.

In a letter to friends and colleagues, he said: "I have not been entirely well in recent weeks."

He added: "On Friday (July 31) I was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia."

Bishop Peter said: "I am confident that everything in the diocese will continue to run smoothly whilst I step back for a while."