The head of the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales will not be charged over claims he covered up allegations of child abuse.

Sussex Police called Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor's offices in Westminster to say the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) had decided on no further action.

A spokesman for the Cardinal said: " I spoke briefly to the Cardinal, who is on a diocesan pilgrimage to Lourdes, and he was pleased to have this confirmed."

The CPS spent three months studying the results of a police investigation into his handling of an abuse scandal while he was Bishop of Arundel and Brighton.

The Cardinal admitted he failed to report allegations of child abuse against one of his priests, Michael Hill, in the Eighties and transferred him to the chaplaincy at Gatwick Airport where he thought Hill would not be a danger to children.

In 1997 Hill, 68, was convicted of sex attacks on nine children, including a boy with learning difficulties he met at the airport, and jailed for five years.

He was released after serving three years but last November was found guilty of six offences of indecent assault against three boys and jailed for another five years.

The controversy has led to calls for the Cardinal's resignation.

He apologised for what he admitted was an error of judgement and said he had hadconflicting psychiatric reports on Hill.