AN inquiry into reports of sexual abuse by a former Chester bishop will begin imminently – two years after it was first promised.

The Church of England has today (Wednesday, May 22) disclosed details of a ‘learning lessons case review’ into the actions of the late Hubert Victor Whitsey.

Cheshire Police began an investigation in 2016 after a church safeguarding adviser in Chester passed on details of alleged abuse by Whitsey.

A year later detectives revealed that they would have spoken to him in relation to 10 of the witness allegations if he had been alive.

Whitsey died in 1987.

The review will be carried out by His Honour Judge David Pearl, an independent reviewer commissioned by the Church’s National Safeguarding Team (NST).

Documents outlining its ‘terms of reference’, shared with this newspaper by the Diocese of Chester, reveal it intended to cover a timespan of alleged abuse from 1974 to 1982.

However, specialist abuse lawyer Richard Scorer, who represents nine of Whitsey’s alleged victims, said the abuse began earlier and he had requested to have the timeframe extended to 1966.

He told The Standard today: “I welcome the fact that the review has been announced. It is important that the reviewer leaves no stone unturned in investigating what was known within the church, by whom and at what point in time.

“These issues have to flushed out and the reviewer needs to be determined and forceful in his pursuit of answers to these questions.”

Mr Scorer had previously been critical of the way the Church and the Diocese of Chester had handled the Whitsey case, alleging a cover-up had taken place.

His suspicions were reaffirmed earlier this year when it emerged the Diocese had missed two opportunities to report paedophile Warrington vicar Charles Gordon Dickenson who was jailed in March.

A separate NST review is expected to begin shortly to investigate these failings and to determine whether the current bishop of Chester, Dr Peter Forster, was aware of any cover-up.

Mr Scorer, who works for Slater & Gordon, said at the time: “The church cannot be relied on to police itself - we urgently need all these instances of possible cover-up to be investigated independently, and until that happens victims will have no confidence that the church is serious about rooting out abuse.”

A Church spokesman has since apologised for the delay in starting the review into the Whitsey case.

He said: “We apologise for the length of time this has taken to sort and for any distress this may have caused survivors.

“A separate ‘lessons learnt review’ will be carried out into the case of the Revd Dickenson."

The terms of reference for the Whitsey review state that a total of 19 people have come forward with allegations of abuse by the late bishop.

Outlining its remit, the document states: “This review (“the Review”) will allow those individuals who have indicated that they have sustained harm at the hands of Hubert Victor Whitsey or another Church body or officer to describe their experiences.

“The Review will identity both good practice and failings in the Church of England’s handling of the allegations relating to Hubert Victor Whitsey, including its safeguarding practice, in order that the Church of England can take steps to enhance and improve its response to allegations of abuse and, thereby, ensure a safer environment for all.”

It will focus on two questions: what the Church of England knew about alleged abuse perpetrated by Whitsey and what the Church of England’s response was to those allegations.

The reviewer will investigate whether any further abuse could have been prevented and will pledge to be “transparent and open” about information collected, the document states.

The news comes as the Church faces continued scrutiny over its safeguarding processes in the wake of the Dickenson case – first reported by The Standard and sister paper the Warrington Guardian – and the BBC Panorama investigations team which broadcast a programme on church-related abuse last month.