He was ordained 52 years ago and yesterdayEaster Sun marked his 49th Easter Day service at one Oxford church.

With his 80th birthday less than three weeks away, Rev James Cocke is one of England's oldest working priests and the oldest in the Diocese of Oxford, which covers Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Buckinghamshire.

There are others older than him who have retired and continue to work part-time and in other church roles, but Mr Cocke is England's sixth eldest paid vicar still working full-time.

Despite reaching national retirement age almost 15 years ago, Mr Cocke is said by his congregation at All Saints Church in Highfield, Headington, to be as inspirational as the day they first met him.

Church of England spokesman Ben Wilson said it was a fantastic achievement for Mr Cocke to still be in charge of a parish as he approached his 80th, but it was even more "amazing" that he had been at the same church for nearly 50 years.

Mr Wilson said: "The fact that next year Rev Cocke will have been at All Saints for 50 years is really quite unusual and something which deserves celebrating itself."

Born in Banbury on May 3, 1926, Mr Cocke also known as Jim left school in 1944 to volunteer for the Army. By the time his training at the Armoured Corps at Bovington, Dorset, the Second World War had finished and he was transferred to the Royal Army Educational Corps.

He returned to Oxford in 1948 to read modern history at Wadham College. He found his calling to the ministry after starting to attend St Aldate's Church regularly.

Mr Cocke went on to train for the ministry at the former Wells Theological College, Somerset.

He was ordained in 1952 and carried out his curacy at Christchurch, Hampshire, before becoming vicar of All Saints in 1957.

He is known among the church's congregation for his support of Headington schools, love of classical music and literature.

Church warden Joy Bithellok met Mr Cocke, who is married with four children, 17 years ago when her son Julian Littlewood, then a 14-year-old student at Oxford's Magdalen College School, was learning to play the organ.

Mother and son have both been attending the church ever since and Mr Littlewood, 31, is now its organist and lives only a few doors away from Mr Cocke in Old Road, Headington.

Mrs Bithell said: "Jim is a great family man and is an inspiration to the church. He has done so much good work over the years. He loves beautiful things religion, music, literature and great vision, and that reflects on the church and the congregation."

All Saints' Church was founded in 1910, and in its first 46 years had five different vicars. This was to change when Mr Cocke arrived. He puts his long incumbency down to his desire to settle at the church and added: "There has been great development in the church over the years."

On Sunday, May 7, he will join friends at a tea party at All Saints parish hall to celebrate his birthday, followed by an evening service at which his friend, theologian and former Christ Church Cathedral Subdean Canon John Fenton, will preach.