A NEW High Sheriff of Worcestershire has been appointed.

At a ceremony, Mr Justice Jeremy Baker passed the mantle to High Sheriff Cassian Roberts. He takes over the role from Stephen Betts.

In line with tradition, the Queen has 'hand pricked' his name onto an official list with a silver bodkin said to have been owned and used for the same purpose by Queen Elizabeth I.

In a ceremony at Buckingham Palace, Her Majesty used the bodkin to prick the name of Cassian Roberts of Shelsley Beauchamp, along with the names of the other men and women who have become the country's high sheriffs, onto the list.

The modern day form of the ceremony, dates back to the reign of Queen Victoria but the office of High Sheriff stretches back farther.

‘Shire Reeves’ as they were originally known were appointed for each county and, once a year, had to give account of the money they had collected to the reigning monarch.

Today's High Sheriffs no longer collect money for the monarch and the majority of their traditional powers are now vested in Lord Lieutenants, High Court judges, magistrates, local authorities, coroners or the Inland Revenue.

The post is now almost entirely ceremonial with the only significant legal functions related to enforcement of High Court writs.