THE public are being given a chance to air their views on who should be the next Bishop of Blackburn.

Senior figures in the selection process will attend a public meeting at the Crofter's Hotel, Garstang, at 7pm on March 27.

The meeting is part of two days of consultations by William Chapman, the Prime Minister's appointments secretary and Tony Sadler, Secretary to the Appointments Commission.

Bishop of Lancaster, the Rt Rev Stephen Pedley said: "They will meet as wide a range of people as possible to obtain a profile of the kind of person the Lancashire community would like as its new bishop."

Within Lancashire the selection process is led by the diocesan Vacancy in See Committee, chaired by Ian Garden.

This group will submit a description of the diocese and its requirements for a new bishop to the Crown Appointments Commission, which will include four members from the Blackburn diocese.

This commission will put forward two names to the Prime Minister who has the option of accepting one or rejecting both.

A farewell service for the departing bishop of Blackburn, the Rt Rev Alan Chesters will be held in Blackburn Cathedral at 11am on Saturday, July 19.

Rt Rev Chesters is the second longest serving Bishop of Blackburn. He was consecrated as Blackburn's seventh Bishop in 1989 and will retire in August.