A CLERGYMAN who pioneered the police "God squad" in the North-East has won promotion.

The Reverend John Scorer was one of the first police ministers in the country when he joined Durham Constabulary in 1993.

He has since played a key role in setting up a ministerial network to counsel hundreds of police officers across the North-East's seven forces.

The Bishop of Durham said Mr Scorer will become one of Durham Cathedral's 24 non-residential canons.

Mr Scorer said that during his time in the post, it has gone from something that was seen as a ceremonial appointment into something heavily involved in day-to-day policing.

He said: "My original appointment was only going to be for five years, but has evolved significantly. My appointment as an honorary canon acknowledges the part I have played."

For the past 14 years, he has sat on a national police chaplaincy group.

The Bishop of Durham, the Right Reverend Tom Wright, said: "I am delighted to bestow this honour and privilege on John. He has raised the profile of police chaplaincy locally, regionally and nationally."

Durham's chief constable, Paul Garvin, praised Mr Scorer's "enthusiasm and wise counsel".

Mr Scorer started work at the age of 16 in Washington and completed an engineering apprenticeship before he went on to work as a technician at Newcastle Polytechnic's department of engineering.

He started his religious training at a college in Kent, followed by two years in Cambridge, before he was ordained a Church of England deacon in 1975 and priest in Durham Cathedral the following year.

He spent time in parishes at Silksworth, Sunderland, in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, and at Sherburn with Pittington, on the outskirts of Durham, before he moved to Croxdale, County Durham.

The 57-year-old chaplain will be made a non-residential canon at a ceremony on May 9.