young was brought up in a household with strong anglican evangelical beliefs (the family attended st jude's, southsea for matins and evensong every sunday as well as week-day meetings). he also patrolled portsmouth's slums and docks as a young constable, and this had an effect on young. guided by his curate, the reverend frederick dillistone, later dean of liverpool, he decided that he must seek ordination (become a priest). the bishop of portsmouth, neville lovett, however, rejected his application to attend theological college, telling him at interview that "policemen do not become priests". although later in life young would drift away from regular worship, the impact of portsmouth on his world-view never shifted. shocked by the poverty and injustice which he discovered, young became a staunch christian socialist and, very rare for a chief constable, a lifelong labour party voter. throughout his career, he sought out contact with clergymen and in the later 1960s, encouraged by the bishop of london, again considered anglican ordination.