A bishop is under investigation after a complaint was made by his diocese’s safeguarding body.

The Diocese of Chichester yesterday confirmed the Bishop of Lewes, the Rt Rev Wallace Benn, is the subject of a complaint made to the Archbishop of Canterbury.

The diocese’s independent Safeguarding Advisory Group has written to Lambeth House about Mr Benn.

The Archbishop now has 28 days to decide whether to dismiss the complaint.

A statement from the Diocese of Chichester said: “The Diocese of Chichester is aware the diocesan independent Safeguarding Advisory Group has made a complaint to the Archbishop of Canterbury concerning Bishop Wallace Benn, Bishop of Lewes. As we understand it, the matter now rests with the Archbishop’s office.”

A spokeswoman for the diocese said she could not confirm the nature of the complaint as it had come from the independent advisory group – a separate body to the diocese.

In June, Bishop Benn, along with the Bishop of Chichester issued an “unreserved” apology to victims of paedophile priests in Sussex.

The statement followed an investigation into priests Roy Cotton and Colin Pritchard, who abused several boys over a number of years.

In May, Baroness Elizabeth Butler-Sloss conducted a highly critical review of the way the senior clergy and Sussex Police handled allegations of historic abuse.

Roy Cotton already had a conviction for indecently assaulting a choir boy when he was ordained in 1966. He went on to abuse at least ten boys from Eastbourne.

Baroness Butler-Sloss’s review found that Bishop Benn gave Cotton permission to continue with priestly duties after he retired in 1999.

Bishop Benn was unavailable to comment.