This summer Petersfield Twinning Association (PTA) will be celebrating the 17-year partnership between Petersfield and Warendorf with a visit to the German town.

And as a token of friendship, the Warendorf twinners set up a Christmas tree in their town square.

A PTA spokesman said: “Our twinning friends from Warendorf, Germany, wished us all in Petersfield a lovely Christmas and a happy new year.

“They set up a Christmas tree in the town square to mark our partnership and wished us all the best in what are difficult times in both our countries.

“Danke Warendorf.”

The twinning agreement between the two towns was signed in July 2006, and this July Petersfield members will be visiting Warendorf.

It was signed after Petersfield twinned with the French town of Barentin, a process completed in Barentin in April 1993.

At the time, Barentin was already twinned with Warendorf, and the German town was keen to twin with Petersfield, with the two towns signing a twinning charter 13 years later.

For details about Petersfield Twinning Association visit the website at http://www.petersfieldtwinningassociation.org.uk/