A French Mayor visited the village of Drayton to sign a twinning arrangement and tour a housing development named after his home town.

Bernard Prevot, mayor of Lesparre in the wine-growing Medoc region of France, 60 kilometres north of Bordeaux, headed a 34-strong group spending three days cementing a two-year relationship with the Oxfordshire village.

Chair of the twinning committee Michael Bell, left, mayor Bernard Prevot, chairman of twinning committee Ann-Marie Aspa and councillor Paul Knight

Last year members of the Drayton Twinning Society visited Lesparre to sign documents to seal the first part of the link and, last Saturday, the French contingent arrived to complete the pairing.

M Prevot arrived in grand style for the signing ceremony in a vintage 1922 Silver Ghost Rolls Royce - courtesy of Peter Vacher from Drayton.

The official documentation - drawn up by teacher Margaret Jones - was signed by M Prevot, and chairman of Lesparre twinning committee Anne Marie Aspa.

Signing on behalf of Drayton was Michael Bell, chairman of the twinning committee and Paul Knight, chairman of the parish council.

The group also visited the housing development, Lesparre Close off Abingdon Road, where 16 three and four-bedroom houses will go on sale next month.

Mr Bell said: "The philosophy behind twinning is to encourage exchanges between ordinary people living in different countries of the world.

"Our visit was certainly successful in this aim and so too was the exchange visit to Drayton. We have made friendships with the people of Lesparre, which we hope will continue."