BARRY boxing champ Lee Selby has added another title to his momentous bout win and this one entitles him to drive sheep down Holton Road.

The Colcot-raised IBF featherweight champ now has the title of Honorary Freeman of the Town under his belt after Barry Town Council recently bestowed the honour on him.

At a special meeting of Full Council held on Thursday, July 23 it was unanimously agreed that Lee Selby of Barry should be admitted an Honorary Freeman of the Town in recognition of his exceptional achievements in boxing, most notably his recent IBF featherweight Champion title.

Lee and his family were invited to attend the Council chamber to receive the Freedom Scroll followed by a meal held in his honour hosted by Barry mayor, Councillor Emma Pritchard.

The act of granting an individual Freedom of the Town, known as Honorary Freeman, is now seen as an honorary title and is only awarded to those who have “rendered eminent services to the town.”

It is the highest honour a Council can bestow.

Barry Town Council last bestowed this honour 11 years ago to celebrate David Davies and his success at achieving a silver medal in the Olympic Games in China.

Councillors praised Lee for being an inspiring role model and reiterated how proud Barry was of him as a town.

In the 13th century the title of Freeman would be seen as an “economic transaction”.

A person would pay a fee and it would give them trading rights in the richest part of the kingdom and has been described as a “medieval quality control or trading standards.”

There were a number of rights traditionally but apocryphally associated with freeman such as the right to drive sheep and cattle through the town; to a silken rope, if hanged; to carry a naked sword through public; or if a policeman were to find a freeman drunk and incapable, they would be bundled into a taxi and sent home rather than thrown into a cell.

While sheep have occasionally been driven over London Bridge on special occasions, the rest of these “privileges” are now effectively symbolic.

The honour of the title still remains.

Other Freeman honoured include Liam Neeson, J K Rowling, Sir Alex Ferugson, Ryan Giggs and Sir Chris Hoy.

Nelson Mandela is also a Freeman of many cities and this is symbolic of the esteem that he is held to in many cities within the UK.