Justin Welby has resigned as Archbishop of Canterbury.

The 68-year-old was facing mounting pressure to quit over his handling of the John Smyth abuse case.

A petition started by three members of the General Synod, the church’s parliament, calling for Welby to quit reached more than 10,000 signatures.

In a statement, Welby said: "The last few days have renewed my long felt and profound sense of shame at the historic safeguarding failures of the Church of England."

Justin Welby

Justin Welby has posted his resignation letter

In a statement, Welby said: "Having sought the gracious permission of His Majesty The King, I have decided to resign as Archbishop of Canterbury. The Makin Review has exposed the long-maintained conspiracy of silence about the heinous abuses of John Smyth.

"When I was informed in 2013 and told that police had been notified, I believed wrongly that an appropriate resolution would follow. It is very clear that I must take personal and institutional responsibility for the long and retraumatising period between 2013 and 2024.

"It is my duty to honour my Constitutional and church responsibilities, so exact timings will be decided once a review of necessary obligations has been completed, including those in England and in the Anglican Communion.

"I hope this decision makes clear how seriously the Church of England understands the need for change and our profound commitment to creating a safer church. As I step down I do so in sorrow with all victims and survivors of abuse."

Justin Welby has stood down

It comes after Sir Keir Starmer said the victims of John Smyth had been “failed very, very badly”, but would not comment directly on whether the Archbishop of Canterbury should quit.

The Prime Minister said earlier today: "Let me be clear: of what I know of the allegations, they are clearly horrific in relation to this particular case, both in their scale and their content.

"My thoughts, as they are in all of these issues, are with the victims here who have obviously been failed very, very badly.

"It’s a matter, in the end, for the church, but I’m not going to shy away from the fact of saying that these are horrific allegations and that my thoughts are with the victims in relation to it."

Welby's resignation statement continued: "The last few days have renewed my long felt and profound sense of shame at the historic safeguarding failures of the Church of England. For nearly twelve years I have struggled to introduce improvements. It is for others to judge what has been done.

"In the meantime, I will follow through on my commitment to meet victims. I will delegate all my other current responsibilities for safeguarding until the necessary risk assessment process is complete.

"I ask everyone to keep my wife Caroline and my children in their prayers. They have been my most important support throughout my ministry, and I am eternally grateful for their sacrifice. Caroline led the spouses’ programme during the Lambeth Conference and has travelled tirelessly in areas of conflict supporting the most vulnerable, the women, and those who care for them locally.

"I believe that stepping aside is in the best interests of the Church of England, which I dearly love and which I have been honoured to serve. I pray that this decision points us back towards the love that Jesus Christ has for every one of us.

"For above all else, my deepest commitment is to the person of Jesus Christ, my saviour and my God; the bearer of the sins and burdens of the world, and the hope of every person."