More than 200 people attended a village church on May 11 to say farewell to its former assistant curate.

Friends joined worshippers from Blewbury, Upton and East and West Hagbourne to say goodbye to assistant curate the Rev David Platt and his wife, Gill, of St Andrew's Church, East Hagbourne, near Didcot.

Mr Platt has retired after nearly seven years as part-time assistant priest in the united benefice. But he will continue to assist the Rector, the Rev Edwin Clements, on two Sundays each month.

The event featured a 40-strong choir and the couple were presented with a DVD and video recorder.

At a lunch following the service, Fr Clements paid tribute to Mr Platt.

He described Mr Platt as "a great person to have with me, along with his wife, Gill, to whom we are greatly indebted".

Mr Platt's successor, former IT consultant Russell Dewhurst, will be ordained deacon in Oxford, on June 29, before moving to the parish as part of his full-time training.

Mr Dewhurst was born and grew up in Lancashire. He studied physics at Magdalen College, Oxford, where he was baptised and confirmed in the college chapel.