THE city’s outgoing Lord Mayor has called on residents to ‘go Dutch’ and honour the country’s war heroes.

Susanna Pressel, who handed over the mayoral reins to fellow city councillor Mary Clarkson last week, issued the rallying cry after returning from a visit to Oxford’s twin town in the Netherlands.

One of her last duties as Lord Mayor was to represent Oxford at the annual Remembrance Day ceremony in Leiden. She said: “It is celebrated each year on May 4, the date on which Hitler’s forces surrendered to the allies near the town. It was a solemn and moving occasion.

“Once the official wreaths had been laid down in front of the memorial, over 1,000 spectators filed past, representing local groups and organisations of all kinds, including students, people with disabilities and gay groups. Some came with family members, young and old.

“Some had wreaths or garden flowers, but many just filed past to pay their respects to the people who died in the Second World War and other wars and conflicts.

“One of the best things about having twinning links is so we can learn from one another. I would like to see if we can arrange for this kind of public participation at our own Remembrance Sunday ceremony in St Giles.”

The Oxford Mail asked Ms Pressel whether the city council should lead by example, after more than half the city’s 48 councillors failed to attend the annual ceremony and parade in St Giles’ in November 2007.

Twenty five councillors did not show up – and just eight sent their apologies, prompting Second World War veteran Ken Bampton to dub the lack of attendance a “disgrace”.

Ms Pressel said part of the Lord Mayor’s job was to encourage city councillors to attend, and said: “Since then attendance has been much better.”

Jim Lewendon, vice-chairman of Oxfordshire Royal British Legion, backed Ms Pressel’s call.

The 79-year-old, from Headington, said: “I’ve been over to Leiden a couple of times. The people are wonderful; they couldn’t do enough for us.”

He added: “The people of Oxford do support us, but there’s always room for more on Remembrance Sunday.”

* Hundreds of mourners yesterday filled a military chapel in London to say farewell to an Oxford Brookes University graduate, who was shot while on patrol in Afghanistan.

Lieutenant Mark Evison, 26, of The Welsh Guards, died on May 12. He graduated from Brookes in 2007.