Merton Council has agreed to hold a special meeting that will award the Freedom of the Borough to Reverend Doctor Andrew Wakefield, who sadly died last year.

The Standards and General Purposes Committee agreed to recommend the late Reverend at the end of last month, in recognition of the substantial contribution he made to the borough. The special meeting of the council will be held later this year.

Council documents describe Reverend Doctor Andrew Wakefield, who is believed to have died of a heart attack in October, as "exceptional".

Freedom of the Borough is a high honour awarded in exceptional circumstances where the prospective recipient is an individual or organisation of distinction and has rendered eminent services to the borough.

Rev Wakefield served as the vicar of St Andrew’s Church in Wimbledon and was an ordained minister. He served as Borough Dean and was described by the Bishop of Kingston as a "generous and expansive character", who "cared deeply about justice in the community and strong interfaith relations."

His other roles included chairman of the Merton Chamber of Commerce and on the Safer Neighbourhood Board as well as acting on the Merton Faith and Belief Forum and police’s independent advisory group. He also played a key part in the formation of the Greater London Authority’s Civic Forum which he chaired.

Rev Wakefield is also best-known for leading the Remembrance Day services outside Morden Civic Centre each year.

Stephen Alambritis, Leader of Merton Council, said: "We are pleased that the council has decided to put in place a very special meeting for a very special person, to grant him Freedom of the Borough posthumously. These special meetings are very rare in any council throughout the country so its an honour to put it in place to give Reverend Wakefield the award."