Dumfries pulls 'accidental' city status bid

Or so it seemed at the start of the day, when the government announced the 26 towns across the UK bidding for an upgrade in their status.

Dumfries was named alongside Perth as the Scottish contenders for the title, to be conferred as part of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrations.

But while Perth's bid had been trumpeted for many months, few were aware of Dumfries's aspirations. Indeed, even the local authority was in the dark about the bid.

And the good news soon began to unravel when officials declared the detailed document pleading Dumfries's case invalid - as it was prepared by a community group and lifestyle magazine, but submitted in the council's name without its consent.

In a written statement to the Commons yesterday, Cabinet Office minister Mark Harper unveiled the towns from around the UK which had submitted bids to become the next British town to be conferred with city status.

Other applicants include Middlesbrough, Doncaster and St Austell in England, Coleraine in Northern Ireland and St Asaph in north Wales.

City status is granted rarely, with the last civic honours competition to mark the Golden Jubilee in 2002 resulting in five new cities - including Stirling.

A spokesman for Dumfries and Galloway Council said the local authority had been contacted by the People's Project and DG Life Magazine just days before the 27 May deadline for applications, asking councillors to back a bid they had prepared independently. But the council had declined and officials were not aware the bid had been submitted until it was contacted by the press yesterday.

"They were advised that since bids for city status could only be submitted by an elected local authority and that there was no council decision to submit a bid, they should not submit a bid," the council spokesman said. "It would appear, however, that despite having agreed to this course of action, the bid was submitted purportedly on behalf of the council."

Mark Jardine, founder of the People's Project, said the bid had been the result of a misunderstanding with the council.

"We had spoken to them about the bid, but they thought we were able to do it independently," he said. "By the time we took them the bid and they realised, it was too late for them to put it through the council to be agreed - but we had already printed it and it had the council's name on it - so we thought we'd submit it and see what happened.

"We did it in good faith, we weren't trying to pull the wool over anyone's eyes. It is a real disappointment that it has been withdrawn."Pete Wishart MP, who put forward the bid for Perth along with Provost of Perth and Kinross Dr John Hulbert, said the town had a "strong and compelling" case.

The tiny seaside town of Millport in the Firth of Clyde revealed last month that it was considering applying for city status in the next competition launched by the Queen.