CONCERNS over the way a top Catholic school handled abuse allegations have led to it being stripped of its safeguarding responsibilities.

Lawyer Emma Moody has been appointed by the Charity Commission to take charge of safeguarding at Ampleforth College in in the wake of child abuse scandals.

She will manage the charities that run the college and Ampleforth Abbey, both of which have been under investigation by the Charity Commission since 2016 following reports of abuse.

The Commission’s head of investigations and enforcement, Harvey Grenville, said: “It is of paramount importance that beneficiaries, and others who come into contact with charities, are protected from harm.

“We are not satisfied that the trustees of these charities have made enough progress in improving the safeguarding environment for pupils in the schools connected to the charities.

“For this reason, we have appointed an interim manager to expedite changes in the safeguarding arrangements at the schools.”

Ampleforth Abbey said Ms Moody would “support and guide the trustees and provide strategic leadership on matters relating to safeguarding, ensuring the charities have the proper framework they require to deliver their missions safely and appropriately.”

Three Ampleforth monks and two lay teachers have been convicted of pupil abuse from the 1960s to 2010.