Middlesbrough will compete against part of the Caymen Islands, the Falklands and Gibraltar for city status during the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations

The Queen will grant the new status to one or more towns as she marks her 70th year as monarch in 2022.

The Teesside town is up against 38 other locations which are all aiming to be recognised as a city.

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For the first time, those who can submit a bid include British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies.

Three of the 39 applications are from George Town in the Cayman Islands, Stanley on the Falkland Islands and Gibraltar.

Middlesbrough is the only area in the North East and North Yorkshire which has applied for city status.

Mayor Andy Preston has secured the support of all 11 other North East councils for the submission, as well as neighbouring Hambleton District Council and North Yorkshire County Council.

Mayor Andy Preston
Mayor Andy Preston

Others backing the bid include Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen, Teesside University and both of the town's MPs.

Here is the full list of places bidding for city status :

  • Alcester, Warwickshire

  • Ballymena, County Antrim

  • Bangor, County Down

  • Blackburn, Lancashire

  • Bolsover, Derbyshire

  • Boston, Lincolnshire

  • Bournemouth, Dorset

  • Coleraine, County Londonderry

  • Colchester, Essex

  • Crawley, West Sussex

  • Crewe, Cheshire

  • Doncaster, South Yorkshire

  • Dorchester, Dorset

  • Douglas, Isle of Man

  • Dudley, West Midlands

  • Dumfries, Dumfries and Galloway

  • Dunfermline, Fife

  • Elgin, Moray

  • George Town, Cayman Islands

  • Gibraltar, Gibraltar

  • Goole, East Yorkshire

  • Greenock, Renfrewshire

  • Guildford, Surrey

  • Livingston, West Lothian

  • Marazion, Cornwall

  • Medway, Kent

  • Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire

  • Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire

  • Newport and Carisbrooke, Isle of Wight

  • Northampton, Northamptonshire

  • Oban, Argyll and Bute

  • Reading, Berkshire

  • Peel, Isle of Man

  • St Andrews, Fife

  • Stanley, Falkland Islands

  • South Ayrshire, Ayrshire and Arran

  • Warrington, Cheshire

  • Warwick, Warwickshire

  • Wrexham, Clwyd

The full list of places was announced by the Cabinet Office and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport on Thursday.

Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Steve Barclay said: "Today's announcement is a celebration of the rick and diverse communities which make up not only the United Kingdom, but also our friends further afield in the Falklands, Gibraltar and the Cayman Islands.

It's fitting that, as we look towards celebrating the 70 year resign of Her Majesty the Queen, we extend the competition to include those parts of the world which also hold her so dearly.

"City status is not only about local pride, it can deliver real levelling up benefits for businesses and the local area which is clear from the high number of applications. A sincere best of luck to all of those who have applied."

There are also 12 cities vying for Lord Provost or Lord Mayor status, one of which is Sunderland.

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