AN ODIHAM school has been chosen to design a flag for North East Hampshire as part of the celebrations for two important events in English democracy.

Mayhill Junior School, in The Bury, has been selected to design a flag that will represent the parliamentary constituency.

The flag will be flown at a special event next year at Parliament in Westminster to mark the 750th anniversary of the Hilary Parliament, a forerunner for the House of Commons called by Simon de Montfort in 1265.

It is also expected to be used in Odiham for the 800th anniversary of the sealing of the Magna Carta.

The 2015 Anniversaries Team, at the Houses of Parliament, has picked a school for each of the 650 constituencies that make up the House of Commons.

Odiham has a close connection to both events, through King John’s Castle, the ruins of which sit by the Basingstoke Canal, near North Warnborough.

It was from the castle that King John set off to meet baronial leaders at Runnymede in Berkshire in 1215. Their agreement formed the basis for the Magna Carta. King John’s youngest daughter Eleanor also lived at the castle with her husband Simon de Montfort, credited with calling the Hilary Parliament – the first with elected knights from each county and elected commoners from large towns.

Odiham will celebrate the Magna Carta anniversary by holding a series of events, including the unveiling of a giant tapestry, stitched by villagers.