THE new bishop for the south-east of Hampshire, including the Meon Valley, has been appointed.

The Right Reverend Christopher Foster, 56, is to take over as Bishop of Portsmouth.

Downing Street today announced that Bishop Christopher, 56, who is currently Bishop of Hertford in the St Albans, will become the ninth Bishop of Portsmouth later this year.

He succeeds the Rt Revd Dr Kenneth Stevenson, who was bishop for 14 years until he retired last autumn.

The new bishop was introduced at the top of Portsmouth’s Spinnaker Tower, from which he can see much of his new diocese – 142 Church of England parishes in south-east Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.

He will be officially installed later in the year.