Alan Hodgson has been appointed as the new principal at Bradford's largest college.

Mr Hodgson has been chosen as the principal designate for Bradford and Ilkley Community College and will succeed Dr Paul Gallagher when he retires next year.

But his appointment comes at a hugely difficult time for the college which is having to reduce its £36 million budget by £1 million with the threat of 50 job redundancies.

Mr Hodgson, 46, has worked at the college since 1976 and has been a director at BICC for the past ten years, most recently as the Director of Corporate Services with responsibility for finance and resources.

He alluded to the problems the college faces - just a week after the lecturers' union NATFHE balloted for strike action against possible compulsory redundancies.

He said: "We are facing a difficult financial situation within the college over the next couple of years but I have every faith and confidence that the ability and commitment of staff, management and Corporation at the college will see us through this period and that we will become an ever stronger educational force.''

The college is under increasing financial stress as the Further Education Funding Council tightens the screws on funding to encourage greater efficiency in all colleges.

"I am very proud and extremely privileged to work for an institution like BICC," said Mr Hodgson, an English graduate from Trinity College, Cambridge.

"The college has a long and honourable tradition of being at the forefront of education's most vital agendas.

"Now more than ever our city and district deserve our continuing commitment to widening participation and progressive lifelong learning - matters that are so clearly set out in the Government's Green Paper.

"I look forward to working with the college's partners on the local and national stage and to being a major contributor to the life and prosperity of Bradford."

He will succeed Dr Gallagher who has been the principal and chief executive of the college for the past 15 years.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.