A ticket clerk famed among commuters for his philosophical ponderings is leaving his post for a new spiritual plain.

Bob Hoiles won over customers at Brighton station after he began putting up quirky meditations on daily life in the window of the ticket concourse office.

Bob's Thought For The Week presented travellers with a welcome break from the early morning rush hour with questions such as: "If your mind goes blank how do you know?"

But the former merchant banking manager served up his final wisdom on Tuesday when he retired from his full-time post with Southern Railway more than five years after arriving at the station.

The 64-year-old from Burgess Hill said: "I am very sad to leave and have had a lot of lovely comments and cards from different customers.

"One person talking about the concourse office in a card said: 'I will always remember this little place in the station.'"

But commuters anxious to keep up with Mr Hoiles' spiritual guidance will not have to look far. The father of five is moving to Preston Park station in September where he will continue working part-time in the ticket office.