09/09/10….When is an Honorary citizen of Thame not an Honorary Citizen?

NEW legislation, dubbed ‘a load of tosh’ by a town councillor, means that is is now illegal for town councils to confer Honoraryry Citizenship on those who have given exemplary service to their towns.

Thame town council has been told that because of the new law, they should retrospectively change the title of the honorary citizens of Thame, Len Webb, David Dodds and Arthur Staggs, to something else such as ‘Freeman of the town.’

However, following discussion about what the council should do about this dilema (and Cllr Mike Weply’s view, that the new regulations as passed down by NALC, National Association of Local Councils, are “a load of old tosh”), Thame Town Council’s Policy and Resources committee has agreed to ignore the change and take a chance that someone in the future may challenge the legality of the honours.

PHOTO: Len Webb, a former town councillor and war veteran who was one of the first allied servicemen to enter Belsen concentration camp, and who was Thame’s first Honorary Citizen.