Wolverhampton favourites Bev and Bully given Freedom of the City

Beverley Knight and Steve Bull have been honoured by Wolverhampton council.

The local authority has only granted ‘a handful’ in the last 40 years – and the celebrity pair were picked for the ‘loyalty’ they have shown to their beloved home city over the years.

An official ceremony will take place in May.

Conservative party leader, Wendy Thompson, said: “Both of these people are very loyal to the city.

“In this time when people make incredible amounts of money and move away it’s appreciated that Steve Bull still lives in Wolverhampton and Beverley still visits regularly.

“These two are great ambassadors for Wolverhampton.

“I think these choices will be extremely popular with residents and their supporters, which must be almost everyone in Wolverhampton.”

Tipton-born Steve, best remembered for his 13-year spell at Wolves, played for the club from 1986 until his retirement in 1999.

The former striker holds their goalscoring record with 306 goals, and is today the club’s vice-president. He also played for West Brom.

Singer and actress Beverley went to Highfields School in the city and still comes back to visit, most recently watching students perform Grease.

She also starred as the Fairy Godmother in Cinderella at Birmingham Hippodrome at Christmas, enjoying a chance to get back to her roots.

The council’s Standards Committee recommended the pair for the honour, with the formal announcement made at a full council meeting this week.

Council leader Roger Lawrence said it gave him ‘great pleasure’ to bestow the honours, which historically symbolise the recipient as ‘a trusted friend of city’.

He said: “These two characters have a lengthy and deep association with the city. They are people who care and who make a real contribution.” Talking about the former West Brom and Wolves footballer first, he joked: “Steve Bull needs little introduction.

“I always say the only good things out of West Bromwich were the A41 to Bilston and the deal that brought Steve Bull and Andy Thompson to Wolves in 1986.

“He is an enormously popular figure who is active locally and supportive of businesses and charities, and a great defender of young people.”

He added: “Beverley is hugely successful in her own industry and loyal to her roots. She helps lots of local charities. There are times in the council when we need a good fairy godmother, so I hope

we can rely on Beverley to help with the budget and other council matters in the future.”

After hearing the news Beverley said she was ‘beyond chuffed’.

“I am so thrilled at the council’s vote to give me the Freedom of the City,” she added. “I carry my hometown in my heart every day of my life; it means so much that my fellow Wolverhamptoners think enough of my work to give me this honour.

“I’m over the moon for Steve Bull too, a hero to us all and a man I’m proud to call a friend.”

Olympic gold medallist Denise Lewis, former Wolves president Sir Jack Hayward, and cyclist Hugh Porter are among those previously bestowed with the honour.

And the late-Baroness Rachael Heyhoe-Flint, former England women’s cricket captain and vice-president of Wolves, was given the Freedom of the City in April 2011.