A NEW priest-in-charge has been appointed for Stowmarket, to fill the gap left by shamed vicar, Trevor Jones.The Rev Christopher Myhill will not take up his new post until July – but said he is looking forward to the challenge.

By Judy Rimmer

A NEW priest-in-charge has been appointed for Stowmarket, to fill the gap left by shamed vicar, Trevor Jones.

The Rev Christopher Myhill will not take up his new post until July – but said he is looking forward to the challenge.

"Stowmarket has a very positive congregation – a congregation with lots to give and I am looking forward to working with them," said Mr Myhill, 55, who has been vicar of Chatteris in Cambridgeshire for 14 years and is married with a teenage daughter and son.

St Peter and St Mary's Church in Stowmarket has not had a permanent priest since the disgraced former vicar was jailed for nine months at Ipswich Crown Court in November 2000, after pleading guilty to four offences of dishonesty.

Parishioners were shocked to learn that Jones, 50, had duped church officials out of thousands of pounds – and that he had a criminal record stretching over 21 years. He had already served a prison sentence for offences of deception.

However, now the church is hoping to put this nightmare firmly behind it with the appointment of a new priest.

"The appointment of Christopher Myhill is good for the parish of Stowmarket," said the Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich, the Rt Rev Richard Lewis.

"He has many skills to offer and together with the ministry team will lead the church into a new era of stability and growth."

Mr Myhill was ordained in 1980. Previously he worked as an audio-visual producer for the Bible Society in London and he has also been employed as a photographer by Essex Police.