RAF Marham's II (AC) Squadron marked its 100th anniversary in style today after all of its personnel became honorary citizens of Swaffham.

A special service was held in the church of St Peter and St Paul, led by new vicar of Swaffham and Sporle the Rev Timothy Lawes.

After the service Swaffham mayor Shirley Matthews presented Wing Commander Nick Tucker-Lowe with the town's honorary citizen medal, which depicted the pedlar of Swaffham, in the Assembly Rooms.

Special guests at the event included Baroness Gillian Shephard, South West Norfolk MP Elizabeth Truss and members of Swaffham's Air Training Corps.

After receiving the award, Wing Commander Tucker-Lowe said: 'It has been a wonderful day and it is a memory that will stick with us for many years to come. It is more than just an honour.

'To have this bestowed upon us adds to the support that service personnel and their families enjoy when they are deployed on operations.

'That support from the community helps these individuals get their job done. It keeps their moral up and gives them courage and fortitude to know that people at home are thinking about them.'

Swaffham's Honorary Citizen award is given out every four years and Breckland councillor Ian Sherwood put forward the idea that RAF Marham's II (AC) Squadron should receive the accolade.

He said that the Swaffham community had an 'affinity' with the West Norfolk base.

Last July the EDP's Make it Marham petition, which attracted 35,000 signatures, was presented to former defence secretary Liam Fox.

It was set up after RAF Marham, home of the Tornado force, was under threat of closure.

RAF Marham's II (AC) Squadron is the oldest fixed wing squadron in the country and helped in the Lybia conflict last year.