SIXTY years of church singing was marked for chorister Joan Sharples with the surprise presentation of a framed certificate at St Mary's Church, Mellor.

Joan, 71, of Brookfield, Mellor, joined St Luke's church choir, Blackburn, as a child then became a chorister at St Mary's when she moved to Mellor 40 years ago.

She has stayed with the choir ever since and was presented with a Royal School of Church Music certificate and bouquet to mark her diamond anniversary on Sunday.

Joan, a former theatre nurse at Blackburn Royal Infirmary, also arranged flowers at the church and was the secretary of the village's over-sixties club.