International artist David Hockney will get Telegraph & Argus bills to keep as mementoes after hitting the headlines yesterday over plans to make him a Freeman of the city.

The T&A bills - posters advertising the main news stories of the day distributed throughout the district - are being sent to Mr Hockney by Robin Silver, Managing Director of Salts Mill, Saltaire, which houses the world's biggest single collection of his work.

The 1853 gallery attracts hundreds of thousands of art lovers each year and includes his latest collection, a series of etchings which were reviewed recently.

Hockney, Britain's most acclaimed artist and Bradford's most famous living son, will receive the honour in Millennium year.

And today tributes flowed in for the artist who comes from Eccleshill and was educated at Bradford Grammar School.

MPs praised him as the citizen who had never forgotten his roots after achieving worldwide fame.

And Council leader Councillor Ian Greenwood was writing to him at his home in California to arrange the historic ceremony when he is in Britain.

Coun Greenwood said a scroll and special gift would be prepared for him.

Mr Hockney was a lifelong friend of the previous owner of Salts Mill, the late Jonathan Silver and has retained close links with the Silver family.

Robin Silver said: "I am sending him the T&A bills because I think he would probably want to keep them in memory of the day he hit the headlines with this honour."

Shipley Labour MP Chris Leslie said: "It is an enormous fillip for Bradford. It is absolutely fitting because it is a rare award. He has had tremendous worldwide impact."

Bradford West Labour MP Marsha Singh said: "It is absolutely great news. He has put Bradford on the world map of arts."

Bradford South MP Gerry Sutcliffe said: "It is a real boost for Bradford. The people are very proud of him."

The Council was approached by the Saltaire Project - an organisation set up to promote Saltaire - in a bid to get the artist honoured. Project chairman Councillor Phil Thornton said: "We will be absolutely delighted to see him receive it. He has put Bradford and the gallery at Salts Mill on the world map."

Leader of the Council's Tory group Councillor Margaret Eaton said: "He has never forgotten his roots and contributed to Bradford in very many ways."

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.