The mayor of Portland paid a visit to a community in Germany to re-establish friendly ties.

At the invitation of mayor Ulrike Drossel of Holzwickede, Cllr Pete Roper attend the inauguration of a new town hall and community centre.

Cllr Roper said the visit was a step towards ‘re-establishing the friendship between the two communities.’ Weymouth and Portland have been twinned with Holzwickede since 1986 - although the borough’s twinning society disbanded last year after being unable to fill a key committee role.

It was stressed the relationship would continue despite the society’s dissolution.

Holzwickede, near Dortmund, is twinned with Weymouth and Portland, Louviers and Colditz.

At a reception attended by representatives of these communities, Cllr Roper presented mayor Drossel with a piece of engraved Portland stone as a gift of friendship between Holzwickede and Portland.

Cllr Roper said: “This is a first start towards re-establishing and extending the friendship between our two towns, and we are looking to actively pursue a Friendship Agreement.

“This was an excellent opportunity to reconnect and promote Portland itself as a separate entity from Weymouth.

“I very much enjoyed my time in Germany. Holzwickede was a kind and generous town; they made me feel very welcome.”

A Friendship Agreement is an accord to a relationship between two towns or cities to establish cultural or commercial ties.