AN OUTSPOKEN vicar has stoutly defended a sermon to groups of girl guides, brownies and rainbows which upset leaders with its frank comments on sex.

The girls of the 3rd Woodford Guides, and Brownies and Rainbows have been based at Holy Trinity Church in South Woodford, and were in the congregation as the Reverend Robert Hampson conducted a service.

The groups are moving to Rovsco Hall in Wanstead, a purpose built Scout Hut, after about 80 years based at the Hermon Hill church, but a spokeswoman denied that its move is directly connected with the row.

Rev Hampson said: "I was talking about the sanctity of life and the fruits of life. I said that one of many fruits that we can bring to God is ourselves and among several things I mentioned was the human body and the message was to keep it holy.

"I told the children that they would not hear my message in schools and I said it was better to wait until they were married before having sex with boyfriends and girlfriends although I made sure I did not use the word sex."

He said nobody walked out of the sermon but he was "quickly aware that the leader of the Guides was unhappy" as her face was "not a picture of roses".

The leader of the group did not want to speak with the Guardian but a spokeswoman for the Guides said: "As an organisation that for 100 years has worked with girls in an age appropriate manner, we felt that some of the comments made during the sermon were not handled appropriately for the age of the girls in the congregation.

"However, the decision to move the group was not based solely on this or any other single incident and the Guides are looking forward to settling into their new meeting place."

A mother, affiliated with one of the groups, said she was at the service and was left astonished.

The lady, who would not be named, said: "There were girls as young as five-years-old in the congregation.

"(Rev Hampson) mentioned HIV and sexually transmitted diseases, it was atrocious.

"The sermon was inflicted upon us with no consent and it took away the choice of parents in highlighting sex education which is something schools and Guides groups do but parents are invited in and have a say."

Rev Hampson said: “I think they were upset because they expected something to be said that does not mean anything but I tried to say something that was meaningful.

"The sexualisation of people is a constant theme in society now and we see it in younger children wearing sexier clothing, and the topics discussed on sites like Facebook.

"I thought it appropriate to warn the children that if they want to live healthy and successful lives they need to think twice about the pressures on them."