A reverend reminisced about almost a decade of service to Burnham-on-Crouch before his move to a new parish.

Father Mark North of the St Mary’s Church in Church Road confirmed he will soon be leaving to a new role at St Thomas of Canterbury Church in Brentwood.

Father North spent nine years in Burnham, where he said the main thing he found about its community was its “hospitality”.

He said: “When this community comes together for moments of remembrance such as the one in 2014, at the start of the centenary of the First World War was very memorable.

“The parish garden getting finished and dedicated, that is something the congregation has been stalking about for many years.

“I suppose that really being able to get that true sense of hospitality through the church and opening up to the community in the town has been a big part of my time here."

Father North's new church will be larger with a bigger congregation.

He said he is excited for what the future holds, however, he is proud of the relationships he has built during his time at the church.

He said: “It is always sad to be moving on because I am very much part of this community her in Burnham and we get to know lots of people.

“I have been beside them in really happy and truly sad moments.

“It is a wrench to leave behind this parish.

“I loved working with the people of the town and I will miss that, and it is a lovely location.

“I will miss being able to walk the dog and bumping into people and time of the day or night and catching on anything they wish to speak about."

Tributes have been paid to Father North ahead of his departure.

In a letter to The Standard, Neil Pudney, councillor for Burnham-on-Crouch North, said: "It is such a shame that Father North is leaving as he has been involved in many things in the town, particularly the messy church which my granddaughter enjoys and also bringing the church into the wider community of Burnham.

"I wish him well in his new appointment."

A replacement has not yet been lined up for Father North.

The community will first undergo a period after his departure known as interregnum.

During that time, the parish will begin creating a profile for their ideal next vicar and they will begin advertising once that process is complete.

Father North feels he will leave the church with no regrets. He never entered the parish with a "ten-point plan" on what he wished to improve, and he is happy he was able to be an example to the parish.

He said: “To be honest, I do not think vicars should come with great plans in that sense.

“I think being an example is part of the role of a church, to create models for patterns of behaviour and call for people to emulate those patterns.

“However, people are people and they have different personalities, but the calling of the church is to model behaviour in life on service and sacrifice without thinking too much about the cost of serving the community."