Supermarket tycoon Sir Ken tells of pride in his home city

Sir Ken swore an oath and signed the Roll of Honorary Freemen during a ceremony in the council chamber at Bradford City Hall and was presented with a commemorative scroll by the Lord Mayor of Bradford, Coun Peter Hill, as a mark of the contribution he has made to the city.

He said: "I've always been a staunch Bradfordian and so it is with great delight that I receive this honour that I can share with all the people in the city. The award is not purely for me, it is for everybody associated with Bradford and Morrisons so it really is a great privilege, pleasure and honour.

"There are many things in Bradford to be proud of and I've always strived to keep Morrisons based in the city. There was some discussion regarding the chosen location when it came to building our new head office but I am delighted that we decided to stay in Bradford."

Coun Hill said: "Sir Ken is being honoured for the tremendous contribution he has made to Bradford. This includes his decision to keep Morrisons' headquarters in the city, which has benefited the local economy, and helping to build the company into the country's fourth largest supermarket."

Previous recipients of the honour include artist David Hockney, the 3rd Battalion of the Yorkshire Regiment and author JB Priestley.

Sir Ken's family owned a small chain of grocery stores in Bradford when he was born in 1931. He became its managing director and chairman in 1956 and two years later he opened the city centre's first self-service shop.

He stood down as the supermarket chain's chairman in 2008 but retains the honorary post of life president.