Richard Caborn celebrated in Freedom of the City ceremony in Sheffield

Councillors officially gave the former Labour MP and minister for sport the honour – which is the highest that can be given by the city – in a meeting last December and a celebration of his achievements took place in the Town Hall on Tuesday.

Mr Caborn said: “I’m truly honoured and immensely proud to receive the Freedom of the City of Sheffield, the city where I was born and bred and have worked all my life.

“I’m touched to see how many people have attended the presentation today and I’d like to say a big thank you to everyone for their support.”

He represented Sheffield for more than 30 years, firstly as a member of European Parliament then as an MP for Sheffield Central.

Following his political career, he helped deliver international projects including the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics bid and those closer to home such as the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre and Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park, which he chairs.

Lord Mayor Sioned-Mair Richards said: “Richard Caborn has Sheffield running through him like a stick of rock. He has put his energy into the Advanced Manufacturing Park and the more recent Olympic Legacy Park. Their success is down to his talent for bringing people together for the betterment of Sheffield. And all this has been achieved since his retirement.

“He is now supposed to be starting a second retirement, l suspect that this is still a long way off. Richard Caborn, Freeman of this City. We salute you.”

Mr Caborn was born in 1943 and left school at 15 to start an engineering apprenticeship. He was always active in trade unions and in 1979 he became a full-time politician as an MEP for Sheffield in the then newly formed European Parliament. In 1983 he became MP for Central.

Richard joined the Anti-Apartheid Movement when he was a trade union official in the 1970s and was a founder member of Sheffield Anti-Apartheid Group. He served as the Anti-Apartheid Movement’s national Treasurer from 1989–1994 and also became Secretary of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Southern Africa.