Pupils and staff at St Bartholomew's School in Wootton Bassett gave a warm welcome to the Bishop of Ramsbury, the Rt Rev Peter Hullah.

At their assembly, the children were fascinated to learn that the Bishop's crook, which is a mark of his office, was given to him by a real shepherd,and is made from hazel wood and ram's horn.

A Bishop is like a shepherd, in caring for the people in his area, he told the children.

"My task is to look after the clergy, churches and schools in this part of Salisbury Diocese."

Head teacher Steve Hannath, who welcomed the Bishop and Father Bernard Garratt, the vicar who escorted him around Wootton Bassett said: "Bishop Peter is a bit like Father Bernard's head teacher."

The Bishop congratulated the school's award winners in the recent Millennium Gospel illustration competition which was run by the town's Community magazine in conjunction with the Rotary Club and the Bible Society.

Some of the winning pictures will be bound into the commemorative handwritten copy of St Mark's Gospel to which many local people have contributed.

He presented prizes to the winners and also handed out awards for achievements in gymnastics, dancing, dental hygiene, karate and swimming.

He then toured the classrooms.