The historic and magnificent city of Kingston upon Hull has beaten a number of worthy adversaries to become the UK City of Culture.

In a further boost to Yorkshire, which was recently named as the third best travel destination in the world and the best in Europe, Hull will wear the four yearly mantle to 2017.

Hull takes over from Derry, which was city of culture 2013, and managed to see off bids from Dundee, Leicester and Swansea.

TV producer Phil Redmond, who chaired the advisory panel which helped choose the winner, said all four shortlisted cities showed a “real understanding” of what the award was about.

He said: “But ultimately it was the unanimous verdict of the panel that Hull put forward the most compelling case based on its theme as ‘a city coming out of the shadows'. This is at the heart of their project and reminds both its people and the wider world of both its cultural past and future potential.”

The city will host a £15 million programme of cultural events, with lots of cake and fireworks.

Plans include an opening ceremony with 3,000 volunteers paying tribute to its maritime heritage, a light show and the planting of thousands of trees to create “sustainable gateways to the city.”

Hull, which is twinned with Freetown in Sierra Leone, has a long history of vibrant and interesting culture. It was once one of the largest fishing ports in the world and its deep connection with seafaring remains at the forefront of the city’s cultural identity, despite the collapse of the trawler fleet.

The city and the surrounding Humber Estuary region are currently reinventing themselves as world-class manufacturing and sea-based distribution centres for renewable energy technologies.