A bid worth our backing.

FIVE years ago, Liverpool Maritime Mercantile City was awarded the prestigious status of UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Such a site is a historic monument, group of buildings or site which is of outstanding universal value to the international community - and our eye-catching waterfront and commercial district certainly fitted the bill.

But ambitious Liverpool has more than a couple of strings to its bow and is now bidding to be England's first UNESCO City of Music.

Quite right, too!

If any city in the country should be putting itself forward for this recognition then surely it's the birthplace of The Beatles and official Capital of Pop (we can point to a record-breaking 56 number one songs) which, only last year, won a national public vote for the UK's Most Musical City.

Liverpool, however, is about much more than the Fab Four - although giving birth to the world's best-loved and most successful band is not a bad start - and consistently hits the heights in many musical genres.

Indeed, the steering group which is to meet for the first time at the end of November to outline the aims of the bid will be led by Liverpool City Council, in partnership with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic and other key music organisations.

Our bid is due to be handed in next Spring and, if successful, we would join just four other UNESCO cities of music - with Ghent and Glasgow the most recent additions - and become a member of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network.

Music has always played a key part in Liverpool life and, in 2008, it played a central role in our successful year as European Capital of Culture.

By becoming England's first UNESCO City of Music we can further enhance a great reputation - so let's all get behind the bid!