British TV news presenter Huw Edwards, who has been off air since last year after allegations that he paid a young person thousands of dollars for sexually explicit photos, has resigned following medical advice. 

He was the BBC's most well-known news anchor and was often selected to lead coverage of major national events.

On Monday, a short statement said, "Huw Edwards has today resigned and left the BBC."

Edwards claimed that after 40 years of service, his decision was based on medical advice from his doctors. The statement said that the BBC has approved his resignation, which it believes will allow all parties to process, and that they do not think it is appropriate to comment further. 

The presenter's departure comes nine months after his wife said he was hospitalized for "serious mental health issues." 

Police said there was no proof a crime had been committed, so they did not take any action against him.

According to the Sun newspaper, the accusations started when a young person was allegedly paid for pornographic images by an unidentified BBC presenter. 

The young person's mother and stepfather provided the information for the paper, but a lawyer wrote a letter on the young person's behalf, calling their account "rubbish." 

A BBC internal investigation was launched after the BBC and the press reported multiple allegations of inappropriate behavior.  

On Monday, the young person's mother revealed to The Sun that her family had been going through immensely much suffering for nearly a year. 

She said they are worried they will not get the answers they desperately need with Edwards' resignation. She added that no action can be taken against him if Edwards has been found to have done something wrong. 

Vicky Flind, Edwards' wife, revealed the presenter's identity in public last July after days of speculation about his identity.