THE highest ceremonial honour a council can bestow has been given to former councillor Bob Gibson.

The spacial accolade was presented to him at Stockton Borough Council's full council meeting on Wednesday night and recognises his 34-year service.

Mr Cook was presented with an OBE for his services to politics in 2006 to recognise his engagement with local government both regionally and nationally.

Leader Bob Cook said: "Bob was a first-class ward councillor and Leader who led the Council through the turbulent Local Government re-organisation of the 1990s culminating in Stockton becoming a unitary authority in 1996.

“His dedication to both Stockton-on-Tees and local government is admirable and he thoroughly deserves to be awarded Freedom of the Borough in recognition for his exceptional work and efforts which have undoubtedly improved the lives of generations of people living across our Borough.”

Mr Gibson said: “I’m incredibly honoured to receive the Freedom of the Borough and to join such a distinguished list of recipients.”

He stepped down from Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council at the last election earlier this year having served 34 years in local government in Stockton Borough, including 17 as Leader.

He was first elected to Cleveland County Council in 1981 and then onto Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council in 1982 where he was a councillor for the Newtown ward.

As well as Freedom of the Borough, Bob was also one of fourteen former councillors presented with Honorary Alderman of the Borough last night (25 November).

The Mayor, Councillor Ian Dalgarno, also awarded the Alderman Badge to Lynne Apedaile, Dick Cains, the late David Coleman, Alex Cunningham MP, the late Maurice Frankland, Colin Leckonby, Ken Lupton, Bill Noble, Maureen Rigg, Fred Salt, Steve Walmsley, Mary Womphrey and Mick Womphrey.