Ship could be awarded Freedom of the City

Emma Howgego - BBC political reporter, Cambridgeshire
·1 min read

A Royal Navy ship could be awarded Freedom of the City of Cambridge later this month.

HMS Protector, which is an ice patrol ship in Antarctica, takes part in climate and wildlife research.

Cambridge City Council’s civic affairs committee will discuss giving the vessel the honour on Monday, with a final decision being made at full council on 23 May.

Two thirds of councillors would need to approve the decision.

Documents released ahead of the committee meeting said there had been affiliation between the authority and HMS Protector since 2011 and they shared "a strong and enduring relationship".

Cambridge as a location also has close ties with research in Antarctica - It is home to the Scott Polar Institute and the British Antarctic Survey.

Councillors last awarded Freedom of the City to the Hungarian city of Szeged in 2011.

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