A FESTIVAL of all things Gallic took over Burnley Library at the weekend in honour of the efforts of the town’s European ambassadors.

Burnley Twinning Association and the borough council have been awarded the European Diploma by the Council of Europe for its track record of forging better ties with our continental cousins.

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Youngsters from Whittlefield School performed at the celebration event which also featured street art inspired by Burnley’s twin town Vitry-sue-Seine in France, an accordionist and a travelling exhibition from Strasbourg.

Mayor of Burnley Cllr Elizabeth Monk officially received the European Diploma while Lancashire County Council chairman Cllr Margaret Brindle and North West MEP Sajjad Karim also attended.

Cllr Brindle said: “It’s a great honour for Burnley to have received this diploma.

“It shows the hard work that people have put into encouraging others to engage with other European cultures.”

Burnley is the only town in the UK to receive the diploma this year and is only one of 12 across the 47 member states to be honoured with one in 2015.

The award was given to the town as of result of work of primary schools to promote other languages, residents carrying out fact-finding visits abroad and for work to foster closer relationships with people in other countries.

Cllr Brindle gave a welcome speech at the event in which she praised the town for its efforts to bring it closer with the continent.

She said: “Burnley has been outstanding in its work to increase relationships with other nations.”

Twinning is a formal connection with a community in another country to build up contacts and promote friendship and a better understanding of each other’s country, culture, language, and national characteristics.

The original twinning links between Burnley and Vitry-sur-Seine were started in 1959 and after a break were re-established in 1996 when Twinning Charters were exchanged.