THE Rt Rev Alan Chesters, Bishop of Blackburn, led tributes to the Rev John Powell, vicar of St Andrew's, Ashton-on-Ribble, Preston, who died suddenly last week.

Bishop Chesters said: "It was with immense sadness that I learned of the sudden death of the Rev John Powell, especially as he was so close to his retirement."

He added: "John had given outstanding service both to Christian education, as a dedicated teacher in this and other dioceses, and as a highly conscientious parish priest in both Lancaster and Preston.

"He showed great talents for kindly leadership and pastoral concern and these very much came together while he was the rural dean of Preston.

"As vicar of St Andrew's in Ashton-on-Ribble, he was completing many years of faithful service to the Blackburn Diocese before retiring.

"Our thoughts and prayers are very much with John's wife Margaret and their daughter's Ann and Judith at this time."

Rev Powell was educated at Nottingham University and trained for the priesthood in Oxford before being ordained in 1961.

He served in three Yorkshire parishes before moving to Lancaster in 1967 as assistant master at the Royal Grammar School.

After further teaching, school chaplaincy and parish work in the Ely and York dioceses, he returned to Lancashire in 1984 to become a vicar of St Chad Skerton.

From there he was appointed vicar of St Andrew's in 1989 and served as Area dean of Preston from 1992 to 1998.