LOCAL MP David Hinchliffe has welcomed the decision to name the new airport near Doncaster after Robin Hood.
Mr Hinchliffe, the MP for Wakefield, whose constituency includes Kirkburton and Denby Dale, has campaigned for some time for the acceptance that Robin Hood has Yorkshire origins.
"I was delighted to learn of the plan to strongly assert the Yorkshire origins of Robin Hood through the name of the airport," he said.
"This is particularly appropriate because, while the records suggest he originated from Wakefield, it is generally accepted that he spent much of his time as an outlaw operating in the Barnsdale Forest, not far from Doncaster.
"The airport will also cater for the good people of Nottinghamshire and should - hopefully - get them into the habit of travelling to reach the historical haunts of Robin Hood."
Mr Hinchliffe backs claims that the strongest argument for the outlaw's genuine origins relate to a Robert Hode, who lived in Wakefield in 1316.
He was outlawed after supporting a failed uprising against Edward II in 1323.
He was married to Matilda, a cousin of the Prioress of Kirklees, at whose hands Robin is generally accepted to have met his death.
He is said to be buried in the grounds of Kirklees Hall.
