A B&B in a tiny Somerset village has been named as the British HQ of a bizarre cult - which performs 'healing' with breast massages and BURPS.

The four-star 'The Lighthouse' is said to be the European headquarters for followers of Universal Medicine, which allegedly tells members what to eat, when to sleep and to shun family members who don't follow the cult's teachings.

They also believe in vaginal and breast massage and burping to rid people of evil spirits as an alternative to modern medicine.

It was founded in 1999 by Serge Benhayon - a former bankrupt tennis coach who claims to be the reincarnation of Leonardo da Vinci.

A court previously found he had engaged in bizarre sexual manipulation, with one former member saying he indecently touched her during an 'ovarian reading', according to the BBC.

He is said to teach people who are sexually abused it is because of what they did in a past life - people with autism were former dictators.

Serge now lives as a millionaire in Australia but twice a year visits the cult's UK headquarters in the Somerset village of Tytherington, near Frome.

Bridgwater Mercury:

Families have said the cult has taken their loved ones from them.

Kasha was 12 when her mum started following Universal medicine .

She told the BBC: “I realised that she wasn't mum any more, so that was quite difficult.”

She described how her mum started to act bizarrely after joining the cult.

“She started burping ridiculously and she said 'I'm just burping out bad spirits',” she said.

Kasha says she realised there was no hope and she would just have to let her mum go.

“I think Serge is a cruel man with cruel intentions. I genuinely think he's a monster,” she said.

“She's still my mum and I love her. But she's never going to be the person that she was or the person I even remember her to be.

Cult members follow strict rules, including a special diet that bans carrots and alcohol and a 9pm bedtime – they get up at 3am.

A civil court in Australia found Universal Medicine to be a 'socially harmful cult' that makes false claims about healing, in a defamation case last December.

It found Serge Benhayon used bizarre forms of sexual manipulation, exploited cancer patients financially, and persuaded followers to shun loved ones who wouldn't' join his cult.

Bridgwater Mercury:

Serge Benhayon has always denied running a cult and any wrong doing, saying he is the victim of a media witch hunt.

Another man, John, told the BBC that Universal Medicine took his wife and daughter from him.

“Its the way they get inside people's heads and brainwash them into doing this that are not natural.”

Members are told what to eat, when to sleep and who to mix with while they are also taught to shun anybody who contradicts the cult's teachings.

Simon Williams, managing director of the Lighthouse, is a follower of Universal Medicine and a friend of Serge's.

He's also president of the Frome Chambers of Commerce.

He told a BBC reporter that the court ruling in Australia was “totally untrue” and people didn't understand what Universal Medicine was about.

Last year Mr Benhayon took a former patient to court in Australia for defamation.

Esther Rockett had been blogging about his practices, claiming he indecently touched her during an "ovarian reading". A jury found in her favour.

Among other things it found Mr Benhayon engaged in sexual manipulation to make money for his business, exploited cancer patients by targeting them to leave him bequests in their wills and persuaded followers to shun loved ones who would not join his cult.