Former archbishop of Canterbury George Carey has quit as a priest following an investigation into the Church of England’s handling of a sexual abuse case.

Lord Carey resigned after the BBC contacted him about allegations he allowed a priest, who had been banned over sexual abuse claims, to return to priesthood.

However, the 89-year-old mentioned his age when announcing his decision to stand down.

In his resignation letter, sent to the Diocese of Oxford on December 4, he said: “I wish to surrender my Permission to Officiate.

“I am in my ninetieth year now and have been in active ministry since 1962 when I was made Deacon and then Priested in 1963.

“It has been an honour to serve in the dioceses of London, Southwell, Durham, Bristol, Bath and Wells, Canterbury and finally Oxford.

“I give thanks to God for his enduring faithfulness but want to recognise the remarkable contribution of (wife) Eileen whose faithfulness and support has been outstanding.”

It comes as the Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell faced calls to resign over his handling of the case of David Tudor, who was banned from ministry for life this year after admitting what the Church described as serious sexual abuse involving two girls aged 15 and 16.

Decades earlier, Tudor had been suspended from ministry for five years in 1988, having admitted, according to a tribunal document, having sex with a 16-year-old girl he met when she was a pupil at a school where he was chaplain.

But he was was later able to return to working in the church in 1994.

Tudor’s return to the priesthood was helped by then-archbishop of Canterbury Lord Carey, according to the BBC.

In 1993, he agreed that Tudor could come back under supervision the following year, the BBC reported.

This was done “with some trepidation”, the Church of England told the broadcaster.

Lord Carey served as archbishop of Canterbury from 1991-2002 and during his period in office took part in the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales in 1997 and became the first archbishop to ordain women to the priesthood.

A spokesman for Lord Carey declined to comment on the BBC investigation.