Archbishop to be envoy for status bid

Dr John Sentamu is one of seven influential figures backing York's attempt to become a Unesco World Heritage site.

Other ambassadors include the Yorkshire Archaeological Society's president, Sylvia Thomas, Welcome to Yorkshire's chief executive, Gary Verity, and York University's Vice-Chancellor, Professor Brian Cantor.

York St John University's Vice-Chancellor, Professor David Fleming, the head of York University's Department of Archaeology, Professor Julian Richards, and Professor Helen Weinstein, director of the Institute of the Public Understanding of the Past, based at York University, have also been chosen.

York's bid focuses on the quality and importance of archaeological deposits found in the city and the unique preservation of wood, leather and wax artefacts as a result of waterlogged conditions.

A shortlist will be announced this spring before the top-placed UK nomination is submitted to a Unesco committee next year.