A Suffolk vicar was prevented from entering a bar for wearing sandals over the weekend, despite his belief that socks are an “instrument of satan.”

The Reverend Andrew Dotchin attempted to enter The Wine Bar in Ipswich over the Easter weekend but was told that he would not be allowed due to health and safety reasons.

According to Dotchin, the bouncer refused him entry sandals because he said there were glass bottles in the bar and they could potentially “break” or “hurt” the vicar's toe.

The vicar of St Botolph church in Whitton, Suffolk was returning home from a beer festival with his 30-year-old son and other friends, when he decided to stop off at the popular Ipswich bar for one last drink. Dotchin said: “I had limited myself to one pint of beer a day for Lent so on Easter Sunday, I decided to go out and have more than one after finishing work.

“The doorman, said, ‘No flip-flops in here’ and refused me entry. He said it was on health and safety grounds because their drinks are in glass bottles.”

The vicar, who was wearing his dog collar at the time, said that he had worn sandals at the bar before and had never previously had any problems.

Dotchin first picked up the habit of wearing sandals in South Africa and says that by wearing the footwear he was following the word of God.

He told the BBC: "The Bible says how beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news - not these feet, no.

"Socks are an instrument of Satan - if you look at any pictures of stained glass windows, look at the toes - no-one in heaven is wearing socks.

"Jesus says only wear sandals in Mark ch 6 v 9. I am practising for heaven."

Luke Parkerson, the manager of The Wine Bar, stood by the bar’s no open toe policy, saying that in previous years they had had incidents involving broke glass injuring people wearing flip flops.

Despite the snub, the vicar was philosophical about the incident and said he appreciated the bouncer “was only doing his job.”