Bishop of Guildford claims he was abused by John Smyth

The Bishop of Guildford has revealed he was a victim of abuse allegedly carried out by a former colleague of the Archbishop of Canterbury.

Andrew Watson accused John Smyth QC of unleashing "appalling activities".

He claimed Mr Smyth, a former leader of the teenage camp for boys - which has close links with the church and where Justin Welby worked as a dormitory officer - had carried out "violent, excruciating and shocking" beatings in the 1970s and 80s.

He described the part-time judge as a "misguided, manipulative and dangerous man".

In a statement released on Monday, he hopes "lessons might be learnt so this never happens again" and said his "profoundest prayers are with all those affected".

He said his experiences were "thankfully a one-off experience never to be repeated" but hopes all victims are "seen as people and not used as pawns in some political or religious game".

The allegations against the prominent QC have come to light following a Channel 4 News investigation.

They claim the Iwerne Trust, which oversaw the Christian camps, was made aware of the allegations against Mr Smyth and compiled a report in 1982, but failed to notify police.

Mr Watson said he was grateful for Mr Welby's apology on behalf of the church, despite not being aware of the abuse until he was informed in 2013.

Statement from the Bishop of Guildford, Andrew Watson, in full: