A village church stalwart has ended his official role with a parish after 58 years of community involvement.
On Saturday Maurice Philpot ended his link with the parish of Burston and Shimpling, near Diss, after a spate of vandalism became the catalyst for his retirement.
Mr Philpot's last act was at the Church of St George at Shimpling, where he has been involved since 1971, to sign in cyclists on the Norfolk Churches Trust fundraising cycle ride, with 13 participants greeted by him and an array of treats by 3pm.
Saturday saw a woman who went to a Sunday school at Burston Chapel in 1958 Mr Philpot was involved with turn up at the church to wish him farewell and gave him a card.
Mr Philpot, 74 and who was church warden at Shimpling, said: 'I think today is a day to reflect, I think the sadness at leaving has gone now.
'The vandalism has been the catalyst to make the final decision to leave. It (the vandalism) has not happened for about six weeks now.'
Mr Philpot's involvement with the parish of Burston and Shimpling began in 1958 with Burston Chapel.
He also had been clerk of the parish council and served as a trustee of the Burston Strike School.
In 1985 Mr Philpot was awarded honorary citizenship of the parish.
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