Croydon's bishop has defended the church's decision to give out sex advice.

In a bid to cut the high numbers of people getting divorced the Church of England has written its own guide to help couples called Growing Together.

The guide says couples should prioritise sex, sport, career and children and divvy up household chores.

It also advises considering a joint bank account and visiting a sex counsellor if couples think they have lost the spark in the bedroom.

The guide is intended to help vicars prepare couples for married life before they get hitched.

The guide states: "Sex, far from being naughty is something holy and wonderful and something to be celebrated."

Right Reverend Nick Baines, the Bishop of Croydon, said: "We are not just interested in the wedding but in the marriage.

"We want to prepare people for life and it's particularly important we do this, considering the number of people who are getting divorced."

He added: "There's an assumption that church people are from a different planet, but we're not. We live in the real world and we are trying to help people talk about things that don't get talked about.

"We're not trying to be trendy but showing we have the guts to address these big issues."

The guide's author, Andrew Body a vicar and professional counsellor, has explained the intention is to get couple's talking rather than the "Church of England publishing its own guide to sexual technique."