THE Reverend June Robson has been appointed chaplain to the region's largest shopping centre.

Mrs Robson, vicar of St Marks Church, Darlington, succeeds Canon Lyn Jamieson at the Gateshead MetroCentre.

As well as caring for the spiritual welfare of staff and shoppers, she will be a contributor to meetings involving centre management, the tenants' association and the Church Commissioners.

Mrs Robson was born in Consett and worked as a teacher in residential schools in the country for many years.

In 1992, she began training for the ordained ministry at St Stephen's House, Oxford, where she gained an Oxford Diploma in Ministry.

Her first parish was in the Diocese of Gloucester, where she was curate at St Barnabas with St Michael, at Tuffley, from 1994 to 1998.

She returned to become parish priest at St Marks, Darlington, a position she has held since 1998.

She said: "I will be extremely sad to leave Darlington, but the exciting challenges at MetroCentre are the chance of a lifetime to be at the cutting edge of daily life.

"The post will give me an opportunity to work not only with Geordies, but also visitors from the far corners of the world."

Ms Robson , who is married with three children, takes up her new appointment on May 5.