ONE of the first women to be ordained as a priest in the North-East has died.

Margaret Kane was one of 38 women to be ordained at Durham Cathedral during an historic ceremony in 1994.

She led an active church life until her death, aged 88, last week, in Billingham, Teesside.

The Reverend Kane was born in Cork, Ireland, in 1915 and worked as a lay preacher in Essex in the 1940s before moving to Sheffield in the next decade.

In 1966, she was invited to Hong Kong to work as a missionary and, three years later, she arrived in the Durham Diocese where she became theological consultant to the Bishop of Durham.

After another period as a missionary in Nigeria, she was ordained as a non-stipendiary deacon in the Billingham team ministry, before being among the first women to be ordained in 1994.

Also known as a talented and enthusiastic watercolour artist, her strength of character was revealed when she taught her self to paint left-handed after suffering a stroke five years ago.

She retired from the ministry in 1996 but continued to lead quiet retreats at Greatham Hall until two years ago.

Ms Kane's body will be received into St Aidan's Church in Billingham on Wednesday, at 6pm. Her funeral will take place at the church at 1pm the following day.