Authorities received 100 complaints in 2004, up from 62 the year before, according to the third annual report of the Church's child protection unit, which was set up after a series of abuse scandals.

The Archbishop of Birmingham, the Most Rev Vincent Nichols, said that the increase reflected growing confidence among past victims.

The vast majority of complaints made last year referred to events over the past 60 years. But there were also 10 incidents of alleged sexual abuse by priests that took place during 2004, as well as a further five alleged incidents of clergy using child pornography on the internet. ...