THE long-awaited new vicar of North Yorkshire's county town will arrive in November -20 months after the previous incumbent left.

All Saints' Church, in Northallerton, St James Church, in Romanby, and St Lawrence Church, in Kirby Sigston, have been without a vicar since Canon Ian Fox left in April last year.

At full strength, the area was covered by a vicar, two curates and four retired priests but, last Christmas, one of the busiest times of the year, there was only one curate and three retired priests covering the duties.

The Reverend Howard Smith, currently vicar at St Thomas Church, in Leesfield, Oldham, Lancashire, has been appointed and will be installed on November 27.

Mr Smith, 55, has been at the parish for almost 12 years, and is originally from Chesterfield, in Derbyshire.

He is planning to move to the vicarage in Mowbray Road, Northallerton, at the start of November.

He said: "I am certainly looking forward to the move.

"I have made a few visits to Northallerton recently and it looks to be a thriving place with a lot of life."

Martin Sheppard, director of communications for the Diocese of York, said it had taken so long to find a new vicar because there was no-one suitable in the diocese.

He said: "We look round within the York Diocese and see if there is anybody who seems particularly suited to the post. For Northallerton, there was no obvious choice.

"The next stage is to look outside the diocese and advertise the post. The Northallerton vacancy was actually advertised in the Church Times. The procedure takes months rather than weeks because you are always looking around to get the best possible fit between a parish and a priest."

Parish curate Liz Kitching said she had enjoyed her time in charge, but that she was looking forward to Mr Smith's arrival. She said: "I have had experiences of things that other curates would not dream of, but it has not been easy."

Mr Smith will be installed in a service at All Saints Church, Northallerton, on November 27, at 6pm.