A Widnes doctor was one of seven people who became British citizens at a ceremony Runcorn Town Hall.
The prestigious occasion took place in from of Deputy Lieutenant of Cheshire Dr Peter Cook, and Halton Borough Council’s Mayor & Mayoress attended. The Mayor, Councillor Alan Lowe gave a brief talk on the history of Halton.
Talented thirty-two year old Doctor Ratna Aumeer moved to the UK from Mauritius in 2004 to study at Birmingham University and now works in Warrington as an Acute Internal Medicine doctor, living here in Halton.
She said: “This was a very proud moment for me today. I have lived here for 13 years and it has been a long and exciting journey. The UK has felt like home for many years, and I am very happy to be a citizen now.
Halton Borough Council’s Executive Board Member for the Registration Service, Cllr Stef Nelson, said: “This ceremony is a right of passage for our new citizens, it formally welcomes them into full membership of the British family.
“They will have made an oath and a pledge to be a faithful subject today, most of them have had long and expensive journeys to reach this point. We welcomed people from Mauritius, Poland, India, Hungary and South Africa today. ”
The new citizens pictured are Erika Hadju, Rupika Soni, Magdelena Tamale, Konrad Ojrzynski, Marta Orjynska, Boipelo Matabane, Ratna Aumeer.
The Citizenship Ceremony serves to provide an opportunity to formerly welcome new citizens in to our community and celebrate their contribution to our country. It concluded with the playing of the national anthem.