The Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich and the Bishop of Dunwich have expressed their full support for the Church of England to adopt same-sex marriage.

In a statement welcomed by the Dean and Chapter of St Edmundsbury Cathedral, the Bishops said they regretted that the option of same sex marriage would not be presented to General Synod, but "recognise that we are on a journey as a Church and, consensus does not exist in the Church of England at this time."

The statement added: "For the Cathedral, we wish to express the fullest possible welcome for all LGBTQI+ people.

"We do so unreservedly and joyfully. We will make full use of the services commended by the House of Bishops to bless same-sex couples in church following a civil marriage or partnership."

They went on to say that they "repent and reject" the ways in which the LGBTQI+ community have been and continue to be "excluded, abused and harmed" by the church.

They added: "We will continue to explore ways of extending our welcome because this is what we believe God is calling us to be as a Christian community, seeking to manifest the Kingdom of God in our midst."