THE Rev Barry Eaton, is happy to be going back to prison.

Mr Eaton, curate at All Saints Church, Habergham, in the parish of West Burnley is leaving to be deputy chaplain at Armley Prison, Leeds.

Before coming to Burnley he was assistant chaplain for six years at Wymott prison near Leyland.

He said: "I did some time in parishes in the south of England before going to Wymott.

"I thoroughly enjoyed my time there, it is really rewarding. We have thought long and hard about going back into prisons and have decided it is the right way forward.''

Mr Eaton, 48, is the first curate ever to be ordained as a priest during the 150-year-old history of All Saints Church.

He has been there for two years.

A native of Manchester he worked as a landscape designer before joining the Church Army.

He is married to Ida and they have three children, David, Christopher and Michael.

His last service as curate at All Saints will be on Harvest Sunday, September 26.

It will be the only service at the church that day to allow everyone to meet and thank Mr Eaton for his ministry there.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.