Archbishop Welby said in a statement on Tuesday that he was “stepping aside in the best interests of the Church of England”.

Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby resigned on Tuesday over the John Smyth abuse scandal

It follows days of pressure after a damning review into the most prolific abuser associated with the church.

"Having sought the gracious permission of His Majesty The King, I have decided to resign as Archbishop of Canterbury.

In a statement, the Archbishop said 'I must take personal and institutional responsibility for the long and retraumatising period between 2013 and 2024'

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby has resigned. DAILY POST reports that this comes after the independent Makin review discovered that the Church

Mr Welby had apologised but stated that he would not resign, following the review’s publication last week.

According to the Makin report, barrister John Smyth might have been brought to justice had the archbishop formally alerted authorities in 2013

The Archbishop of Canterbury says stepping aside is "in the best interests of the Church of England".

It comes after pressure mounted on Justin Welby in relation to his handling of abuse

It comes after pressure mounted on Justin Welby in relation to his handling of an abuse review

The Archbishop of Canterbury has resigned – after asking The King’s permission to step aside. The Most Reverend Justin Welby has stepped aside after pressure from clergy over his handling of child abuse allegations. The...

The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby has resigned following criticism of his failure to prevent child abuse.