Former council officer made honorary freeman

A dedicated and long-serving council officer has received the Royal Borough's highest honour.

David Oram became the latest Freeman of Windsor and Maidenhead at a ceremony at Windsor Guildhall on Friday in recognition of his career in local government which spanned nearly 40 years.

He becomes only the15th person to receive the formal recognition, joining the likes of  the Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh, the Prince of Wales and England rugby world cup coach Sir Clive Woodward.

"It is a great honour to have and when you look at the people that have been granted this I am in awe," said Mr Oram, who retired in August.

"That the council have agreed to bestow an honour on me is a very good feeling."

Having begun his career with Reading Borough Council in 1974 Mr Oram joined the Royal Borough three years later. He helped guide the borough through its promotion to a unitary authority when Berkshire County Council was abolished in 1998, and became head of economic development. He was appointed deputy chief executive in 2008 and became interim chief executive in May.

More recently he played an integral part in the council's plans for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic games.

During the Church Lane ceremony, Mr Oram officially made the declaration of an honorary freeman by signing the freedom book in front of past colleagues, friends and family. He was then presented with an illustrative commemorative scroll by Mayor of Windsor and Maidenhead, Cllr Colin Rayner, who said Mr Oram's legacy will carry on for many years.