A new ceremonial post has been established to add a historic flavour to important public occasions in Keighley.

Barry Taylor, landlord of the Brown Cow pub, in West Lane, Keighley, has been appointed mayor's steward.

The solemn duty obliges him to carry the Keighley Mayor's mace at official events involving the town council.

Mr Taylor was issued with the town's civic regalia.

This includes a blazer with the town's crest stitched on to the front pocket.

The Haworth firm Wyedean Weaving was responsible for making the coat of arms.

Debra Kelly, a spokeswoman for the company, said the embroidering was actually done by a specialist in Pakistan, because it was cheaper to have the work done there.

Mr Taylor's first official public appearance should take place next month when the Lord Mayor of Bradford attends the full meeting of Keighley Town Council.

Keighley's former borough council dates back to the 1880s.

The mace which Mr Taylor will carry was given to the council in honour of the town's first Mayor, Alderman Benjamin Septimus Brigg.

Daru Rooke, the curator of Cliffe Castle Museum, said there was no evidence to suggest the town's borough council possessed a mayor's steward before 1974.

However, he said the post did exist in many other English councils.

He said the Keighley mace symbolised the devolved authority of the British monarch.

He added: "It weighs a ton, it's really big and it's covered in coats of arms and engravings."

The mace is usually kept at Cliffe Castle or the town hall.