The Bishop of Chichester has told his successor he will keep out of the way after handing over his mitre later this month.

Dr Eric Kemp has announced he plans to continue living in Chichester after leaving the Bishop's Palace which has been home since his appointment in 1974.

He is being succeeded by Bishop John Hinde, a former principal of Chichester Theological College.

Bishop Hinde will be formally elected on February 9 and his official enthronement is expected to take place in May.

Friends Dr Kemp says he and his wife Patricia have decided to stay in Chichester because of the many friends they have made.

But he has told Sussex churchgoers in a farewell message: "We shall both try to keep out of the way and avoid being in any sense an embarrassment to my successor, but I shall pray for you all and hope that this diocese will continue happily in its unity and sense of mission."

Meanwhile, churches across the county have started paying their tributes to Dr Kemp who has been a leading critic of the ordination of women.

Father Robert Harris, rector of St Mary The Virgin at Felpham, near Bognor, has launched a strong defence of the outgoing Bishop in his parish magazine saying Dr Kemp was often "unjustly vilified."

He said: "Bishop Eric has striven to ensure that both integrities within our church are held together with respect rather than the animosity which may be found elsewhere."