'Church of England was wrong over child abuse'

The Church of England must ''own up to its failings'' over child abuse, the Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham has said.

The Church of England formally apologised for past child abuse by Anglican priests and its own "serious failure" to prevent it at a meeting of the General Synod in York.

Opening a debate on a report about abuse in the Chichester Diocese, the Right Reverend Paul Butler said the Church must admit that "we were wrong.''