HE was a respectable choirmaster, proud of his achivements and talent.

She was a blonde 17-year-old schoolgirl, eager to become an integral part of a cathedral choir.

But, despite an 18-year age gap, Bolton-born Ian Ball began "dating" A-level student Zanna Brown.

And when the 35-year-old flies back from a conference in America he will be confronted with a wave of controversy after details of the affair leaked.

The relative of a fellow choirgirl tipped off the Dean of Gloucester Cathedral, leading to Mr Brown being severely reprimanded.

But the man who was once one of the youngest cathedral organists in the country is to keep his post after he apologised for his "inappropriate" behavior.

According to the Dean, the Very Reverend Nicholas Bury, the pair dated for a week. The Dean added: "What Mr Ball did was unacceptable.

"He clearly acted inappropriately in having a close friendship with a girl in the choir and caused embarrasment to the cathedral."

Mr Ball, a former pupil of Bolton School, completed an organ scholarship at Oxford University and became an organ scholar at Manchester Cathedral.

In 1995, he was appointed organist and assistant diocesan director of music at the Catholic Clifton Cathedral in Bristol.

The virtuoso became deputy organist and head of music in Gloucester in 1998. Miss Brown attends the private King's School in Gloucester.

Mr Ball divorced from his wife, Elizabeth, a vicar's daughter, following an affair he had with mother-of-two Ruth Harper two years ago.

When details of the affair first came to light, he said: "I would never be so stupid as to do anything like that. I would not want to bring the good name of the cathedral down."

Neither Miss Brown's father nor Mrs Ball would comment.