 LORD Chan of Oxton - who died earlier this year - and the Bishop of Birkenhead are to be given the Freedom of Wirral. Wirral Borough Council's cabinet has recommended both men for the honour in recognition of their work on behalf of the borough. The two men will become only the fourth and fifth people to be granted the honour in the 32-year history of the borough. For Lord Chan (pictured above), who was the first Chinese man to take a seat in the Lords, the honour is in recognition of his role as a hugely influential paediatrician and tireless worker for ethnic minorities. Last night, Lord Chan's widow said her family was "very touched" and surprised. Lady Chan said: "It's a very great honour and we are delighted. I'm sure Michael, had he been alive, would have been so thrilled to receive this honour." His daughter Ruth added: "I'm touched they are to honour my father this way." One of the first "People's Peers", Lord Chan was a member of the House of Lords on the crossbenches from July, 2001. Professor Lord Chan, who died aged 65 last January, was born Michael Chew Koon Chan, in Singapore. He trained as a medical student in Guy's Hospital in London where he met his wife Irene, and the couple returned to the Far East where they had two children, Ruth and Stephen. The family later moved to Merseyside when Lord Chan was offered a job as a senior clinical lecturer at the School of Tropical Medicine in 1976, where he stayed for 18 years. He was also director of the NHS ethnic health unit, and chaired a number of organisations including the Chinese in Britain Forum and the Wirral Multicultural Organisation. Steve Foulkes, leader of Wirral Council said: "Lord Chan had a long period of sustained involvement in Wirral, particularly his work with the multicultural centre and in the medical field. "Clearly, he is in a lot of people's memories." | 
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