The mayor of Barking and Dagenham has visited the borough’s twin city of Witten in Germany.
Mayor and River Ward councillor Peter Chand went during the annual onion festival.
He joined a delegation from Barking and Dagenham Witten club for the celebration of the summer harvest, which is marked by a parade through the city.
The borough was officially twinned with Witten in 1979. The council doesn't financially support the project and the mayor flew himself and the mayoress to Germany personally.
But Cllr Chand wants the council to do more to support the relationship.
He said: "The twinning is really flourishing over there, whereas, over here, no one has really heard of it.
"After the war, twinning was the way that communities could come together and recognise that out of those dark days that some positives can come."
Cllr Chand led the parade of 20 floats and, along with Witten's mayor, threw sweets to children,
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