THE next Archbishop of York called for greater ethnic diversity in the Church of England as he was announced as the successor to Dr John Sentamu, the church’s most senior black cleric.

Bishop of Chelmsford the Rt Rev Stephen Cottrell, who once said the church had to shed its middle-class ‘Marks & Spencer’ image, will move to the new role in June despite speculation it would go to a woman.

Speaking in London yesterday, the married father-of-three, 61, said he was ‘humbled and excited at the prospect’ of becoming the 98th Archbishop of York.

But he acknowledged a lack of ethnic minority clergy in senior roles, adding: ‘When I do hang up my mitre I hope the church will look different; it will look more diverse.

‘Our record isn’t good and, dare I say it, we bishops must take responsibility.’

Mr Cottrell said his ‘top priority’ would be ensuring the church is ‘a safe place for everyone’ after evidence emerged of sex abuse dating back decades.

He said he had ‘big shoes to fill’ in taking over from Dr Sentamu, 70, but he was ‘not daunted’.

‘Although I was born and grew up in Essex, I lived and served in Huddersfield for nine years,’ he said.

‘I now look forward to returning and being a voice for the North, sharing the liberating good news of the gospel and helping address the discrepancies of wealth and opportunity that too often favour the South.’

Mr Cottrell was Bishop of Reading before returning to Essex to take the Chelmsford post in 2010.

In 2009, he said it was ‘frustrating’ that the church had become known as ‘just the Marks & Spencer option’ when ‘Jesus would just as likely be in the queue at Asda or Aldi’.