A POPULAR parish priest is set to retire after decades of service.

The Rev David Newman is standing down as rector of St James Church in Little Clacton due to ill health.

He has been at the church for 22 years.

Mr Newman, who is 62, was born in Woodford and always wanted to be in the church.

He said: “I had a sense that it was the right path to follow, a deep conviction that it was God’s will for me.”

Mr Newman spent three years as curate at St Mary-at-Latton before moving to Little Clacton in 1994.

He said it had been a privilege to be a parish priest.

“I am very pleased to see the completed restoration of the church in Little Clacton.

“It’s also been a privilege to share the joys and the sorrows of the parishes of St Andrew’s in Weeley and St James in Little Clacton.

“I have enjoyed the continuation of worship and the Sunday congregations with the wider community,” he added.

A joint service for the two parishes will be held in St James’ Church on Sunday April 24 when there will also be a farewell lunch.

Mr Newman said he will continue to live in the area.

“I know the people and am part of the community,” he said.

A successor has not yet been announced but in the meantime extra support for the church will be offered by Father Jeremy Dowding of Thorpe-Le-Soken, who is already helping out at Weeley.

Little Clacton-born missionary the Rev Andrew Symonds and his wife, Rosemary, said he was also “anxious and willing” to help the parishes.

Church warden David Brown described his departing priest as a “very good man” and he added: “We’ll be sorry to see him go.

“He’s an intelligent and capable man. His use of words is second-to-none. For his knowledge of the church, you don’t need google when he’s around. "

Peter Watson, chairman of the Friends of St James Church, also paid tribute to Rev Newman: “He’s been excellent to us. He’s going to be sorely missed.”