A priest says he will voluntarily return from Ireland to face a string of abuse charges involving schoolgirls.

The Crown Prosecution Service has authorised Greater Manchester Police to charge Canon Mortimer Stanley, 82, after numerous complaints by former pupils at a Rochdale school.

Today his solicitor strongly denied claims by GMP sources that Canon Stanley was being advised not to attend Rochdale Police Station, and that he may have to be extradited, as, because he is not in the UK, a summons may not compel him to attend.

But GMP said they had been negotiating since August 27 for Canon Stanley to return to Rochdale to be charged.

His solicitor, Peter Hayes, a Partner at Fieldings Porter Solicitors based in Manchester, has now submitted a formal complaint to GMP.

He said he had been engaged in lengthy correspondence with GMP for a number of months and it had never been suggested that Canon Stanley will not return to England to face the allegations.

Canon Stanley has voluntarily travelled to England to be interviewed on two separate occasions where he has denied all of the allegations.

The clergyman is living in Ballybunion, Kerry, after retiring from St Vincent de Paul RC Church in Norden, Rochdale.

He is now due to face 17 charges of indecent assault on girls under 14.

The allegations involved 10 victims and are said to have taken place between 1977 and 2002. All the victims were pupils at St Vincent's Primary School, linked to the parish.

Mr Hayes says: "GMP notified us, as Canon Stanley’s Solicitors, a few months ago that they had received authority from the Crown Prosecution Service to begin criminal proceedings. Since then we have been involved in lengthy correspondence with GMP as to the most appropriate way for the prosecution to begin. GMP do not want to use the summons system on this case because they say it does not ‘compel’ Canon Stanley to attend court. We have made the point, repeatedly, that they do not need to compel him to attend court because he will voluntarily attend court."

In a statement GMP said: “Since August 27th when the CPS authorised charges against Mortimer Stanley, GMP has been negotiating with his representatives about how best to progress the judicial process and begin criminal proceedings.

“For a number of reasons GMP has repeatedly requested he present himself at a police station in order to be charged.

“As this request has not been met we have been left with no option but to utilise the summons system. The process is ongoing.”

Mr Hayes said: “I have been asking GMP from the outset to proceed by way of summons in this case and thankfully common sense has now prevailed, as they have now agreed to my suggestion.”