A RETIRED car dealer from York is to take to the driving seat as the new vicar of Norton.

The Reverend Bill Ankers retired three years ago from Haws Garage in Lowther Street, York.

By then the 55-year-old had already become an unpaid deacon - making him one of the British motor trade's first unpaid churchmen.

Since retiring from the garage trade, he has been a full-time stipendiary priest in the South Wold Deanery - carrying out the part-time roles of assistant curate at Kexby with Wilberfoss and assistant chaplain at Full Sutton Prison, near Stamford Bridge.

Mr Ankers, of Burton Stone Lane, York, will be collated as vicar of Norton, which is in the Buckrose Deanery, on July 1.

The service in St Peter's Church, Norton, will be conducted by the Bishop of Selby, the Right Reverend Humphrey Taylor.Mr Ankers, his wife Celia and their son Jonathan are already making plans to move to the vicarage at Norton.

Mrs Ankers said: "We want to get settled in before the big day. We're really looking forward to this. It's very exciting."

Mr Ankers started off his career at the Lowther Street Citroen dealership as the teaboy and rose to the position of dealer principal.

He sang in the choir at St Luke's Church, Clifton, York, as a boy. He went on to become a member of the Deanery Synod and a lay reader before being ordained in the same church.

A diocesan working party will meet in Norton next month to discuss the future of the Buckrose deanery.

Three benefices in the deanery are currently without an incumbent, although the appointment of Mr Ankers should ease the pressure.

Another benefice - Westow, Leavening, Burythorpe and Acklam - has been vacant for three years.

Writing in last month's deanery magazine, the acting rural dean the Reverend John Woods stated: "Clergy do not come like manna from heaven.

"Being realistic, unless there is a very substantial increase in parish giving in the future, this deanery will be unable to support four stipendiary priests financially.

"A sensible assessment is that we shall only be able to pay for three stipendiary priests after 1999 at the present rate of giving."

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