Tenth Bishop of St Albans named

Rt Rev Dr Alan Smith said he was excited by the challenges ahead

The new Bishop of St Albans has been named as the Rt Rev Alan Smith, the current Bishop of Shrewsbury.

To mark the announcement, the new bishop was due to post a video on YouTube detailing his hopes for the new role and the challenges ahead.

The 51-year-old will take over from Christopher Herbert, who retired on 7 January, the Diocese of St Albans said.

He will become the tenth Bishop of St Albans and said he felt "excited" by his move to Hertfordshire.

In his YouTube video, which is due to be available to web users later, he said: "I feel excited and daunted by what lies ahead, although sad to be leaving the people of Shropshire where I've had seven very happy years."

On hearing news of the appointment, The Rt Rev Christopher Foster, Bishop of Hertford, said: "Bishop Alan's appointment is great news for the Diocese of St Albans."

He added the new bishop would bring "proven leadership".