SUE Wharton was a mother of two and a part-time sales rep when she realised her vocation lay within the church.

Now she is the new vicar of Askwith and priest in charge of the Washburn Valley and mid-Wharfe churches.

With responsibility for the parishes of Weston with Denton, Leathley, Farnley and Fewston with Blubber-houses, she is one of an increasing number of women making their mark on the church.

The Rev Wharton, 45, who took up her new post at the end of July, is originally from Rugby.

She began her career as a microbiologist after studying at Leeds University.

She married Rob, who is self-employed in garden design and landscaping, and the couple had two children, Michael, now 16, and Joanna, 14.

With two young children to look after, Sue was happy to work part-time as a sales rep - until the day she found her true vocation, at a time when women were beginning the process of being accepted as priests within the church.

She said: "It was quite sudden. I was reasonably heavily involved in the church and one day when I was praying I felt that was what I should be doing.

"My children were very little and my husband was surprised but very supportive."

The Rev Wharton had been a curate at Bingley before moving to Askwith and she says she has found people are accepting of women clergy.

"Usually people are very welcoming and quite often if they seem to be opposed it is at least partly because they are not used to it.

"All four parishes here have been very welcoming," she stressed.

The Rev Wharton admits enjoying the Dawn French comedy The Vicar of Dibley, but points out that fact can sometimes be stranger than fiction.

"There are bits in real life that are at least as funny as that, but you could not talk about them in public," she laughed.