THE vicar of Holy Trinity Church in South Crosland is to retire.

The Rev Irene Shaw, who is also the priest in charge at St Stephen's, Rashcliffe, is planning to leave Huddersfield for Beverley, East Yorkshire, in June.

She has been working in Huddersfield for the past two-and-a-half years.

The Rev Shaw said: "I am 60 in May and decided it was time to retire and move closer to my family.

"I will still be doing part-time work at Beverley Minster, which I am looking forward to a great deal.

"I will miss being on call for people 24-hours- a-day, but I will not miss all the admin that goes with the job."

The Rev Shaw, a mother of two, did not join the church until she was 38. Her first husband died and she had to support the family on her own.

She said: "I went back to college with the idea of going in to catering.

"But I got chatting to the college chaplain and he suggested I should consider the church. I have not looked back since and not regretted it for a moment."

Once she has retired she is planning to travel to Peru and Canada with David, her husband of 14 years.