5 September 2012 Last updated at 12:29 ET <\/p>\n
Olympic heptathlon gold medallist Jessica Ennis is to be awarded the freedom of Sheffield after councillors unanimously approved the honour. <\/p>\n
Ennis, 26, from Sheffield, was crowned champion heptathlete on 4 August. <\/p>\n
Ennis would now be consulted over when she was able to officially sign the scroll granting her the honour, Sheffield City Council said. <\/p>\n
Freedom of the city did not carry any special privileges and was purely ceremonial, a spokesman said. <\/p>\n
Julie Dore, Labour leader of Sheffield City Council, said she believed Ennis had been \"overwhelmed\" by the reaction her Olympic win had sparked in her home city. <\/p>\n
She said she hoped the heptathlete would be proud to accept the honour of freedom of the city. <\/p>\n
The award comes just days after Sheffield United renamed one of its stands after Ennis. <\/p>\n
Club owner Kevin McCabe said it was a fitting tribute to honour Ennis' achievements during the London Games as she was \"probably Sheffield's biggest ever star\". <\/p>\n
Since her Olympic victory, Ennis has received a number of accolades - of varying kinds - including becoming the cover star of children's comic the Beano and having a lion cub named after her. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
More here: <\/p>\n
Ennis to get freedom of Sheffield<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" 5 September 2012 Last updated at 12:29 ET Olympic heptathlon gold medallist Jessica Ennis is to be awarded the freedom of Sheffield after councillors unanimously approved the honour. Ennis, 26, from Sheffield, was crowned champion heptathlete on 4 August. Continue reading