The people of a small French town, where Private Arthur Poulter won his Victoria Cross in the First World War, are looking to twin with a town in the Bradford district in his honour.

The Mayor of Erquinghem-Lys, a town near Lille in northern France, is urging one of the communities in the district to consider setting up a link.

He and five other people from the French town have been on a three-day visit to the area at the invitation of the Duke of Wellington's Regiment.

Pte Poulter, who worked as a drayman for the Timothy Taylor brewery in Keighley before joining up, won his VC on April 10, 1918.

Ten times he carried wounded men from the battlefield under heavy artillery and machine gun fire.

Pte Poulter, who was with the stretcher bearer team, bandaged up 40 men under fire and was wounded himself.

His 83-year-old son John Poulter, a retired postman who lives in Leeds, said: "I'm always very proud and pleased when I hear about what people want to do in honour of my father. He was a brave man.

"I think it would be a fine idea to set up a twinning with a town such as Keighley."

The contingent from Erquinghem-Lys attended a reception in Bradford City Hall this week, at the invitation of Glyn Roberts, president of Bradford Twin Town Association.

Mr Roberts said: "I hope there will be many people who would like to establish links with Erquinghem-Lys.

"They have honoured Pte Poulter and the response should be to offer them a hand of friendship by considering becoming their twin town."

In 1998, the people of Erquinghem-Lys set up a memorial to Pte Poulter on the site where he earned his medal.

Last November the Duke of Wellington's Regiment was presented with the freedom of the town - commemorative keys - at a special ceremony.

Major Bob Heron, the regiment's assistant regimental secretary, said Erquinghem-Lys was a small community about the size of Wilsden or Cullingworth and it would be an honourable thing to set up a twinning link.

He said Pte Poulter put his ability to carrying all those men down to his strength hauling barrels for the Keighley brewery.

His VC was presented to the regiment by his family and is now a prized exhibit at the regimental museum in Halifax.

Keighley Town Mayor Tony Wright said the twinning initiative could come from former service people.

"There could be a successful twinning established between the local British Legion and the equivalent in the French town.

"I think the best way to develop a twinning project is to get people together who have similar interests."

People interested in setting up a twinning scheme should contact Maj Heron on (01422) 361671.