ONE of Blackburn's largest churches is to get a new priest-in-charge.

Canon Arthur Ransom, who is vicar at St Ambrose Church in Leyland, will take over at St Silas' Church, Preston New Road, following the retirement of the Rev Brian Stevenson last year.

Canon Ransom is 51 and has served in the Blackburn Diocese all his working life, in Morecambe, Lancaster and Leyland.

He has been at St Ambrose since 1981.

He trained at St John's College, Durham, and Wycliffe Hall, Oxford, and became an honorary canon in 2000.

Parisioners said farewell to the Rev Stevenson last September after he had spent 12 years at St Silas'.

A date has yet to be fixed for Canon Ransom's move.