A COUPLE spoke of their pride at becoming British citizens yesterday following what is believed to be the region's first citizenship ceremonies.

Dr Kamran Saeed, 39, and his wife Iram Kamran, 38, swore an oath of allegiance to the Queen and pledged to respect the country's rights and freedoms.

They also promised to abide by the country's laws and uphold its democratic values before they were presented with their certificates of citizenship and the National Anthem was played.

The couple moved to England from Pakistan in 1996 and have settled in Northallerton, North Yorkshire, with their two daughters, Ifrah, five and Aimin, three.

Dr Saeed, who is a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons, works in the orthopaedic department at Northallerton's Friarage Hospital.

His colleagues packed into the Register Office at County Hall, Northallerton, yesterday for the ceremony, which is the final part of the process of becoming a UK citizen.

The ceremonies are a statutory requirement for all people who apply for citizenship after January 1 this year.

Dr Saeed said: "I consider it an honour to be a citizen of this country.

"We have enjoyed a warm welcome from the people of Northallerton and North Yorkshire. We have made many friends and it is certainly a great place to bring up our children.

"It feels like we are finally part of the community now. We are already living here, but this is the final acceptance that we are 'in'.

"It is also a recognition of the work that we do in the community."

The UK's first citizenship ceremony took place in London in February, when 16 immigrants swore allegiance to the Queen in front of Prince Charles and Home Secretary David Blunkett.

Yesterday's ceremony, the first of its kind in North Yorkshire, was hosted by the chairman of the county council, Councillor Clifford Wilson.

He told the couple: "Being a United Kingdom citizen, you will have duties and obligations, not just to uphold the democratic values of this country or respect the laws, but also duties and obligations to be a good citizen and to contribute to your community."