THE High Sheriff for Merseyside Ian Meadows’s successor will be Mrs Abila Pointing who will take up her duties on April 23.

She was appointed by HM the Queen in her position as Duke of Lancaster. Mrs Pointing, who holds postgraduate degrees from both Liverpool and John Moores universities and gained her MBE for voluntary work in prisons in Liverpool and at Manchester where she was the Governor’s personal adviser in race relations.

As a Muslim, originally born on the Indian sub-continent, Mrs Pointing is keen to bring different communities and faiths together.

She said: “I am extremely humbled and honoured to hold this office and in my year as High Sheriff I would like to work across the county of Merseyside with as many groups as possible. Education has played a very important part in my life and I would like to promote the importance of education – in its widest sense – to as many groups as possible. I hope to visit lots of organisations and to draw different kinds of people together.”

The installation ceremony will be at the Victoria Building, Liverpool University.