A LONG-serving headteacher has retired after 23 years at the same school.

Chris Bird, who lives in Great Ayton, North Yorkshire, came to the area from Doncaster to teach in 1969.

He was appointed headteacher of Thornaby Church of England Primary School in 1982.

Teaching assistant Irene Rylander is one of two members of staff who have been at the school longer than Mr Bird and helped organise an assembly for him.

She said: "We had a special assembly yesterday morning for the whole school so the children could present him with cards and gifts.

"They sang rhymes and special songs and he was presented with a weather vane.

"The weather vane has a man wearing a flat cap on it which makes it look a bit like him, he was a proper Yorkshire man like that.

"He will be greatly missed by everybody here."