Michael McLoughlin (Operations Manager, Rineys), Elise Boon (Public Realm service, LBTH), James Coe (General Manager, Rineys) pic:Lene Wold

Vans, lorries and the staff of an east London firm are to be emblazoned with the Tower Hamlets city logo in support of the borough’s bid for city status.

Towns across the UK have been invited to compete for city status as part of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations in 2012.

Engineering company JB Riney & Co, which has been based in Tower Hamlets for more than 30 years, decided to support the bid by having their staff wear vests and jackets with the logo printed on.

Brendan Riney, Managing Director at JB Riney, said the company is proud to support Tower Hamlets Council with its bid, and that they “believe that Tower Hamlets deserves the city status”.

He said: “The area brings together some of the country’s most diverse communities, as well as being home to world famous landmarks.”

JB Riney also supports the borough’s bid because it is the council’s contractor for highways maintenance and landscaping.

Currently 24 local authorities and boroughs are competing to be the next UK city. Tower Hamlets submitted its bid in May, and is working to raise the profile of the borough through the backing of local residents and businesses.

The status is a purely symbolic award and brings no extra powers, functions or funding.

However, the Mayor of Tower Hamlets, Lutfur Rahman, said he believes the status would bring a “raft of benefits” to the borough and added that he was pleased to have the support of JB Riney.

“I am sure they have witnessed many changes and, like me, feel Tower Hamlets has evolved and has so much to offer,” Rahman said.

From this week, the city bid logo and strap line, which reads ‘Tower Hamlets: Ready to be a city’, will be on everything JB Riney owns.

The city bid results will be announced in the first half of 2012.