A respected Copeland reverend is swapping his church duties for childcare after revealing his retirement.

Reverend Richard Lee, the team rector for Egremont and surrounding areas, will take his last service on December 31.

The 65-year-old has spent eight years in Cumbria after a lifetime of working around the world as an Royal Air Force chaplain.

"I've been ordained since I was 24, I've worked throughout the world and all things naturally come to an end," he said. "I thought it was the appropriate and right time to move on.

"I've been in Egremont around eight years and I just think it's naturally time to finish, as well as the maturity of my family now."

Reverend Lee moved to Cumbria with his wife, former West Cumberland Hospital consultant paediatrician Deborah Lee, when he left the RAF aged 57.

His four children - Dr Jen Warren, who had success in Prince Harry's Invictus Games recently, Michael Lee, Peter Lee and Andrew Lee - were educated at St Bees.

And the reverend now plans to retire to the seaside village, although he's not expecting a quiet life.

He said: "Although I'm retiring, you don't stop being a priest. I'm now a grandad so there's already been various calls made asking 'can you help?'

"I'm retaining one or two of my roles, I'll still be chaplain to the High Sheriff and regional chaplain of the RAF Air Cadets. I've got lots to do on the voluntary side too."

His RAF career took him to Scotland, the Falkland Islands, Germany, the Netherlands, Canada, USA and Qatar, as well as roles closer to home in North Devon, North Yorkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hampshire and London.

During his time as a reverend, which started in his home county of County Durham, he has served as a hospital chaplain in Germany, a staff chaplain at NATO's headquarters and as an honorary chaplain to the Queen. He is also a Freeman of the City of London and recently finished his term as High Sheriff of Cumbria.

"It has always been interesting," he said. "I've met fascinating people, you think you're going to help them but you receive more from them.

"They have been given to you for you to learn, in every country I've been to."

On his time in Egremont, he said: "To my great pleasure, I was accepted as rector of Egremont and although it has been challenging, with floods and the shootings, it's been uplifting and I've enjoyed my time here.

"The shootings focused quite purposefully on Egremont, Haile and Wilton, a lot of horribleness happened here. I seen people were really faithful and strong and helped each other.

"The strength of the parish churches is a result of its people and the people who come to it. It's the job of the church to stay with them throughout life."

He praised the "terrific resilience" of people in Egremont, Haile, Bigrigg, Moor Row and Wilton.