German city names street in honour of British town

Reading mayor Tony Page has visited the street in Dusseldorf

The town of Reading has been immortalised in a new street name in its sister city in Germany.

It has had close relations with Dusseldorf since 1946, when soldiers from the Berkshire Regiment were part of a post-war occupying force.

They reported back on the terrible living conditions to then-mayor Phoebe Cusden, who went on to plea for aid and organised for impoverished children to be given sanctuary in Reading.

Now the Berkshire town has been honoured with a street called Readinger Strasse in the German city.

Phoebe Cusden was moved to act after reading that many of the children in Germany's worst affected areas were living on as little as 400 calories a day

Current Reading mayor Tony Page was invited to visit for the street by his Dusseldorf counterpart.

He said he was also informed of future plans for a square at a residential complex in the city to be called Phoebe Cusden Platz.

"This new square is a couple of years away but it is entirely fitting that Phoebe should be given her own recognition bearing in mind her role in creating the links between Reading and Dusseldorf immediately after the last war," he said.

Reading and Dusseldorf were officially twinned in 1975, with the relationship being reflected in Dusseldorf Way, located near the former Civic Centre site in the town centre.