WES Johnson is stepping down as campus principal of Newton Rigg College.

He joined the Penrith-based college in 2012 following it's acquisition by Askham Bryan College and, under his leadership, has seen student numbers grow from 350 to around 1,000.

Anthony Alton, chair of Governors, said: "Wes has played a pivotal role in making the initial vision for Newton Rigg a reality and in particular in re-establishing its reputation at the heart of agriculture in Cumbria. The college is ideally placed to build on this as we look to appoint a successor. We wish Wes well as he embarks on the next stage of his career."

Over the last five years, improvements to the college have included a £3m dairy unit, updating existing buildings on the main campus, a new equestrian centre and work is now nearing completion on a new sheep husbandry centre at Low Beckside, the college's hill farm.

Mr Johnson said: "I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at Newton Rigg and in particular seeing the college re-connected with the Cumbrian farming community so the county now has the educational opportunities it deserves.

"It has also been a pleasure to see the subsequent growth in student numbers, the on-going improvements to the farms and the establishing of the National Centre for the Uplands. The support of a strong team has been very important in helping to make this happen and I have no doubt that Newton Rigg will continue to go from strength to strength."

Mr Johnson will leave in Spring next year to become the principal of Lancaster & Morecambe College, a general Further Education college.

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