The Rev. Tony Rindl was licensed as the team rector by the Bishop of Burnley, the Rt Rev. John Goddard, in a service at Holy Trinity Church, which was also attended by the Archdeacon, the Ven. John Hawley.

Mr Rindl, the Area Dean of Pendle, takes over as team rector from the Rev. Mike Hartley, who after 10 years in Colne is now priest-in-charge at Warton, near Blackpool, and the diocesan ecumenical officer.

Mr Rindl came to Colne in 2003 to be team vicar with responsibility for St Bartholemew's Church and then, additionally, for Holy Trinity Church in Burnley Road.

Originally from Birmingham, Mr Rindl (44) trained at St John's, Nottingham, and worked in the Diocese of Leicester before coming north.

He was made Area Dean of Pendle in 2005, succeeding the Rev. Ed Savile, of St Luke's Church, Brierfield.

Mr Rindl now has Christ Church, Colne, St Michael and All Angels, Foulridge, and St Mary's, Trawden, in his care as well as St Bartholomew's and Holy Trinity.

A new team vicar is expected to be appointed, but it is unlikely to happen before Christmas, he said.

After the service at Holy Trinity, there was a celebration get-together in the church hall. Present were his father, Herbert, a retired maths teacher, and mother, Winifred, who came from the Midlands to attend.

Mr Rindl's father was born in Austria and escaped via Vienna, in 1939, following the Nazi annexation of his homeland. He travelled here alone as an eight-year-old, was sent to Manchester and then evacuated to Blackpool during the war. He returned to Manchester when peace was restored and eventually married and settled in Birmingham.