Bishop of Leicester says he's too old to become next Archbishop of Canterbury

The Bishop of Leicester the Right Reverand Tim Stevens has ruled himself out of becoming the next Archbishop of Canterbury by saying he's 'too old' for the position.

He's paid tribute to the current Archbishop Dr Rowan Williams, who announced he was leaving the Church of England's top job at the end of this year.

Bishop Tim said Dr Rowan Williams was a deeply spiritual man who had tried to achieve some consensus among Anglicans, during his ten years as the head of the Anglican community.

He said it had been a tumultuous period of time for the church, with issues like gay civil partnerships, and the ordination of women, dividing opinion.

Bishop Tim said he felt the Archbishop had personally paid a high price, and he wasn’t surprised he was stepping down.

There is speculation at who will replace Dr Rowan Williams as the head of the Church of England.

Those tipped for the job include the Bishop of Coventry, the Right Reverend Dr Christopher Cocksworth.