A school rebel who never did his homework and loves rock music is to become a new minister in Maldon.

Arctic Monkeys fan, the Revd Mark Ambrose was born at St Peter’s Hospital and went to Plume School.

He is now returning to Maldon to become a minister at the town’s United Reformed Church.

Father-of-four Mark, 57, worked in insurance at Sedgwick Insurance Brokers in Witham before embarking on his life’s ambition to join the ministry.

Speaking of his return to Maldon, he said: “It’s very strange to have gone full circle.

“I met a lady in my congregation and it turned out she was in my class at school.

“I was thinking I hope I haven’t done anything terrible at school that she’s going to remember.

“I wasn’t very academic.

“I grew up with working class parents and didn’t really know how to study so I didn’t do any homework and consequently didn’t do well in my exams.

“It was only in later life after training in the ministry that I got a masters in pastoral theology.”