A former journalist and journalism lecturer has swapped the newsroom for a dog collar.

Gareth Hill, former head of journalism at Cornwall College, is embarking on his third career - as a full-time Methodist minister.

He was recently ordained at a Methodist Conference in Ipswich after spending five years training, and will now take up his post in Wadebridge, North Cornwall to look after four churches.

He said: "It may seem an extraordinary jump, but people who know me won't be entirely surprised.

"I come from a Christian family and have been a preacher since I was 17. The people who are most surprised are those who don't seem to believe that Christianity and journalism can go together."

Gareth started his journalism career on his home town newspaper The Free Press of Monmouthshire, in Pontypool, before moving to the South Essex Recorders as a sports writer.

In 1979 he moved to the South Wales Echo where he spent six years as a sub-editor and deputy features editor before returning to Pontypool where he edited the Free Press Series.

In November 1991 he moved to Cornwall College to establish an NCTJ course which, in recent years, has refined itself into an 18-week postgraduate fast-track course, and in which time has seen about 450 students complete their studies there.

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