The Church of England is facing calls from its own priests to examine whether it is institutionally racist, as it admitted it had failed the Windrush generation.

A number of clerics have said it may be time for the Anglican church to launch an independent investigation into its treatment of black and minority ethnic (BAME) parishioners and clergy to make sure it is doing enough to tackle both conscious and unconscious prejudice.

Father Andrew Moughtin-Mumby, who has submitted a motion to next month’s General Synod calling on the church to “stamp out all forms of conscious or unconscious racism” said it may be time for such an inquiry.

He said: “There is a feeling the church may need to appoint someone from outside to examine whether it is institutionally racist.

“Too many BAME people still come up to me now and say of their parish churches ‘they are happy for us to cook their food but don't want to see us sitting on the parish council or in positions of influence.”

Father Moughtin-Mumby, the Rector of St Peter’s in Walworth, south London, added:

“We need to admit that the church is in some ways institutionally racist because we have not managed to create a space in which everyone can flourish.”