Bishop was reported to police for alleged ‘abuse’ amid claims his cathedral property was reportedly used for lockdown ‘sex party’

• Robert Byrne, the Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle, was reported to police
• The 66-year-old resigned last month, saying the job was ‘too great a burden’

A Catholic bishop whose cathedral property was reportedly used for a lockdown ‘sex party’ was himself reported to police for alleged abuse, it has been revealed.

Robert Byrne, the Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle, was reported to police in December following an allegation of abuse made against him by a priest.

The 66-year-old resigned last month, saying the job was ‘too great a burden’. The Vatican has since asked the Archbishop of Liverpool Malcolm McMahon to carry out an ‘in-depth’ inquiry into his resignation.

Robert Byrne, the Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle (pictured), was reported to police in December following an allegation of abuse made against him by a priest 

And the archbishop confirmed that Bishop Byrne had been reported to police in December, according to The Catholic Herald yesterday. The police force informed has not been named. It is understood there is no current inquiry.

It came as The Sunday Times reported at the weekend allegations that a ‘sex party’ took place in priests’ living quarters attached to St Mary’s Cathedral in Newcastle during lockdown. There was no suggestion that Bishop Byrne attended or knew about the alleged party.

As well as conducting his own inquiry, Archbishop McMahon has also asked the Catholic Safeguarding Standards Agency (CSSA) to review diocesan safeguarding.

In addition the diocese previously referred itself to the Charity Commission, who are conducting their own inquiries into ‘regulatory compliance.’

Canon Michael McCoy (pictured), Dean at St Mary’s cathedral, is reported to have approached a number of worshippers asking them if they wanted to attend a ‘party’ at the cathedral.

It came as The Sunday Times reported at the weekend allegations that a ‘sex party’ took place in priests’ living quarters attached to St Mary’s Cathedral in Newcastle (pictured) during lockdown

Canon Michael McCoy, Dean at St Mary’s cathedral, is reported to have approached a number of worshippers asking them if they wanted to attend a ‘party’ at the cathedral.

McCoy, 57, took his own life in April 2021, just four days after finding out he was being investigated by Northumbria police’s child and adult protection department following a historical child sex abuse allegation which was made against him.

He was visited by officers to be informed of the investigation and was later found hanged.

McCoy had been appointed to his cathedral role by the Bishop Byrne in 2019.

According to the Sunday Times the CSSA inquiry would look at the relationship of convicted sex offender Father Tim Gardner with the diocese.

In 2014 Gardner, 42, who taught religious education at a catholic school in London, was given a suspended prison sentence at Southwark Crown Court after admitting making indecent images of children and having more than 500 pictures of children and more than 5,000 prohibited images downloaded onto his computer.

Gardner is alleged to have been offered the chance to stay at church owned accommodation within the Newcastle diocese after his conviction, but this move was said to have been blocked by senior officials in the diocese.

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