Queen's Platinum Jubilee: Crewe to bid for city status

If Crewe's bid is successful, it will become Cheshire's second city

Crewe is to bid for city status as part of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations.

Town mayor Tom Dunlop said Crewe was "on the up and up" and putting in a bid was an opportunity "too good to miss".

He cited Crewe's prominence in the railway network as reasons for selection, but stressed it was not just a place where people changed trains.

The Queen is due to confer city status on one or more towns in 2022 to mark her 70-year reign.

Mr Dunlop told BBC Radio Stoke he was "absolutely confident" about Crewe's chances.

He said: "We're not just a place where people change trains any more, Crewe is on the up and up and putting this city status bid in through this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity is just too good to miss."

The mayor called for businesses and residents in the town to support the bid.

"When we put our bid forward, the more buzz there is around the place, the better it'll be," he said.

Entries must be submitted by 8 December.

Town mayor Tom Dunlop says Crewe's importance is highlighted by the arrival of high speed rail network HS2 but it is "not just a place where people change trains"

It has already been announced that Southend-on-Sea will become the UK's 52nd city, in honour of MP Sir David Amess who was killed during a meeting with constituents earlier this month.

Doncaster and Warwick have announced they plan to bid.

Three towns - Chelmsford, Perth and St Asaph - were granted city status in 2012 to mark the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.

If Crewe is successful, it will become Cheshire's second city, joining Chester.