Rev. William Down is returning to England.

Bishop Down, who was the target of criticism last year over the appointment of Archdeacon the Ven. Ewen Ratteray, will leave the Island in October.

He said yesterday he has accepted an invitation to become assistant Bishop in the Diocese of Leicester, and he will also be Priest-in-Charge of the parish of Humberstone.

Citing family reasons and his belief that the next Bishop of Bermuda should be Bermudian and elected on the Island, he said he felt the time had come for him to move on.

"For some time I have been considering my own future ministry, and there have been two major concerns in my mind,'' he said.

"The first is there are a number of compelling family reasons why we should return to the United Kingdom sooner rather than later. And the second is that I believe that it is important that the next Bishop of Bermuda should be elected here, and hopefully be a Bermudian.'' Last June, three senior members of the Anglican clergy met with the Bishop to dicuss concerns about his leadership style.

They were unhappy that he had not consulted with senior priests on the appointment of Archdeacon Ratteray, and that the new Archdeacon was the "least senior'' of the Island's Bermudian Anglican clergy.

However, citing church regulations, Bishop Down said he did not have to justify his decision because it was his to make.

Bishop Down said yesterday that in October last year he initiated a review of the procedures for electing a Bishop of Bermuda, with the stated intention of attempting to ensure that new procedures would produce a definite result.

Past Synod elections of a new Bishop have often resulted in deadlock.

"The Canon Law Revision Committee of Synod has worked hard to prepare these new procedures, and I hope that they will be shortly in place,'' said Bishop Down.

"In March I was invited to consider an appointment in the Diocese of Leicester as Assistant Bishop together with the oversight of the parish of Humberstone.

"It seems an ideal appointment in every way, especially from the family angle. It combines a full episcopal ministry in a diocese with 250 parishes and 185 stipendiary clergy with a ministry in a busy suburban parish.'' Bishop Down added that he and his family plan to leave Bermuda at the end of October.

"We shall leave Bermuda with many treasured memories, many wonderful friends, and with the sadness at leaving these beautiful Islands. It has been a difficult decision to make.''