Cockney’s not brown bread in this manor

YOUR cockney had better be up to scratch if you’re visiting the East End.

Councillors have decided it is to be considered an official language – in the east London borough of Tower Hamlets, at least.

It is thought to be the first time the centuriesold rhyming slang has been recognised in this way, meaning councilfunded literature will feature cockney alongside other languages.

The move comes after pressure from local group Cockney Cultures, who feel the identity is under threat.

Councillors said the decision celebrated local identity and history. Saif Osmani of Cockney Cultures said: ‘Never has there been a need for so many to embrace their inner cockney spirit and attitude, based on values of resilience and defiance, resourcefulness, all underpinned by a stoic and irreverent wit.’