A SENIOR clergyman in a Yorkshire diocese has resigned after a report criticised his handling of allegations of child abuse by a former cathedral dean.

Lord David Hope has resigned from his post as honorary assistant bishop of the newly formed West Yorkshire and the Dales diocese, following the publication of last week’s report by Judge Sally Cahill QC.

The report found “systemic failures” in the way the way the Church of England responded to complaints against the late Robert Waddington relating to boys in Manchester and Australia.

Judge Cahill said Lord Hope of Thornes failed to follow policy and take advice after the then Archbishop of York was informed of the allegations. The first complaint was made in 1999, but dated back to the 1950s.

According to the report, Lord Hope's actions meant "opportunities were missed" to start an investigation which may have led to a prosecution before Waddington's death seven years ago.

In a statement today, Lord Hope said: "After much prayerful and considered thought I wrote at the beginning of the week to the Bishop of Leeds and in the light of the Cahill Inquiry Report I have submitted my resignation as Honorary Assistant Bishop of Bradford, now West Yorkshire and the Dales, with immediate effect.

"This ends my nearly 50 years of formal ministry in the Church of England, which I have always sought to serve with dedication. I will certainly continue to pray for the important ongoing work with survivors."

The report was a result of an independent inquiry set up by the Office of the Archbishop of York last year. Dr John Sentamu pledged to make the inquiry’s findings public when complete. Last week he said he was left “deeply ashamed” by the report’s findings.

On hearing of Lord Hope's decision, Dr Sentamu said: "I respect the prayerful decision made by my predecessor Lord David Hope. I am deeply saddened by his decision.

"He has served the Church of England with joyfulness, commitment, honesty and holiness. I personally thank him for his leadership as a Priest, Principal of a Theological College, Bishop and Archbishop of the Province of York; and above all as a Dear Brother in Christ."

Lord Hope has always denied suggestions that he covered up allegations against Waddington, who died from cancer in 2007, but last week he offered a "personal and profound apology" to the victims if they felt they had been denied justice.

He said there was no recommendation at the time that allegations should be reported to the police.

"If all that has been learned by organisations and the public about child abuse in the last 15 years had been known in 1999 and 2004, I would certainly have acted differently," he said.