When it comes to the punt is nothing sacred?

The British bookies have stopped betting on who will be the next Archbishop of Canterbury after a solid plunge on one candidate led them to conclude they were becoming victims of insider trading.

The BBC reports that Ladbrokes closed betting after reporting a "very significant move" in favour of the current Bishop of Durham, Justin Welby. William Hill followed suit saying it had cut the odds on Bishop Welby three times in an hour.

A panel has been considering who will replace Rowan Williams for months with the choice currently before the Crown Nominations Commission.

Before the flurry of betting activity Bishop Welby was the 13/8 second favourite.When the bookies called enough he was an odds on 4/6.