AN ACCOUNTANT has stepped into an historic post that now mostly entails welcoming and assisting visiting members of the judiciary and royalty.
Richard Coad was sworn in on Monday as High Sheriff for County Durham.
He took the traditional declaration pledging to uphold the rights of the crown in a ceremony at Durham Crown Court, overseen by resident judge Richard Lowden, plus the respective chairmen of South and North Durham magistrates' courts panels, David Irwin and Mac Williams. Mr Coad, 61, of Thorpe, near Barnard Castle, has run Coad & Co accountancy in Darlington, since 1979. A director of Darlington local strategic partnership, he is also a keen supporter of local charities, including St John Ambulance. Mr Coad said: "It's a great honour and it should prove most interesting."
Solicitor John Pratt, of Blackett, Hart and Pratt, was sworn in as the new under-sheriff.
The Rev John Dobson, of Blackwell parish in Darlington, and Rural Dean of Darlington, was appointed as Mr Coad's chaplain.
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