A LONG-serving Rossendale magistrate has retired after 27 years of service.

Margaret Dunne, 70, from Edenfield, was appointed to the Rossendale bench in October 1983.

She later became the Vice-Chairman of the Rossendale Bench before its amalgamation with Burnley and Pendle and then later became the Vice Chairman of the newly formed Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale Bench in April 2000.

Mrs Dunne said: “I am very sad to step down from the Bench but once you reach 70 you have to.

“In the days when I joined you had to be nominated by a member of the community.

“When I found out I had been nominated I was gobsmacked but really pleased as it was always something I thought it would like.”

The former Mayoress of Rossendale is married to Phillip Dunne, a former Mayor who retired from politics in 2000.

However he is still the President of the Rossendale and Darwen Conservative Association.

The grandmother-of-two also served on the Bench Training and Development Committee, a member of the Probation Liaison Committee and on the General Purposes Committee.

She said: “My most interesting time was my work on the family panel.

“We had a case asking us to remove a child from its mother and place it with its father, which is very unusual as a child is always kept with its mother except in exceptional circumstances.

“Obviously it was a difficult decision, that was not taken lightly and took many days.”

Mrs Dunne is now looking forward to carrying on her role as a home teacher, going on holidays, gardening and spending time with her family.

Rossendale MP Jake Berry said: “Margaret is well known locally for bringing great experience to the Bench but her presence has been felt well beyond the Magistrates’ courts.”