THE inaugural lecture commemorating one of York's elder statesmen is a complete "sell-out".

No more tickets are being issued for the first John Shannon lecture, at the Merchant Adventurers Hall, on Thursday, Peter Brown, of York Civic Trust, said today.

The lecture, named after Mr Shannon to mark his life's work in preserving the best of York's past, is Authenticity And Tradition, by Robert Adam.

Mr Brown said: "We are now having to turn people away. Mr Shannon will be attending and I think he was very flattered to have a lecture named after him.

"It is going to be an annual event and, after all he has done for the city, it's the least we can do."

Updated: 11:57 Tuesday, May 27, 2003