The new Bishop of Swansea and Brecon diocese has not yet been chosen as the Church in Wales’ Electoral College could not reach a decision.

None of the candidates were able to secure the necessary two-thirds majority vote of the college during its three-day meeting at St Mary’s Church in Swansea which ended today.

The decision as to who is appointed to be the next bishop of the diocese will now be taken by the Bench of Bishops in due course.

The president of the Electoral College, Bishop Andy John, said the appointment would be high on the Bishops’ agenda.

He said: “Whenever we have engagements like this and there is rigorous debate and close engagement, a decision is a very difficult thing to achieve.

"As the College hasn’t come to one mind, it has asked the Bench of Bishops to take responsibility for the next appointment. So that is now very high on our agenda.

"We will be consulting together, both with the diocese and amongst ourselves, in the hope we can provide for the diocese someone who can take it forward. I am really confident that we will be able to do that soon.”

The meeting of the College follows the retirement of the Archbishop of Wales John Davies, who was also the Bishop of Swansea and Brecon, in May.

The new bishop, who will be based in Brecon, will be the 10th Bishop of the Diocese of Swansea and Brecon, an area stretching south to the coast of the Gower and north into much of mid-Wales.

The Electoral College was made up of 45 people representing all six Welsh dioceses. Its discussions were confidential, with candidates for election being nominated at the meeting and voted on by secret ballot.

Its meeting began on Wednesday, September 1, and ended on its third and final day - Friday, September 3.