AN 11-year-old boy has been installed as the 42nd junior bishop at a parish church in Claines, near Worcester.

George Paterson was unveiled as the junior bishop at a special ceremony at St John Baptist Church.

He has already been undertaking a wide range of duties which run from St Nicholas Day, on Thursday, December 6, to Friday, December 28 – the Feast of the Holy Innocents.

The post is open to girls and boys living in the parish.

George takes over from Charlotte Jeavons, the first girl to hold the post, and will be assisted by chaplain Imoden Gunter, who is 13.

Claines re-established the mediaeval tradition in 1971 and George can expect to play a leading part in all of the church services, visiting the sick in the parish and will also preach on Christmas Day.

He will use the Claines Crosier, a mediaeval bishop’s crosier which was found in the 1940s during repairs in the neighbouring Mug House pub.