If the blonde bouffant was not distinctive then the accent certainly would have been in 1980s Wolverhampton.

Almost 20 years ago a young Boris Johnson spent three months in the city working for the Express & Star.

Boris – now a popular and controversial MP, writer and broadcaster – was fresh out of Oxford University and had been sent to the Black Country by The Times to learn the journalistic craft back in 1988.

The 43-year-old has fond memories, which he recalled in a visit to the Express & Star yesterday. He said he enjoyed his training, which drilled into him the basics of journalism which he took to the Daily Telegraph and The Spectator magazine where he became editor.

Boris added: “I had a wonderful time here. I was a completely useless reporter. One day someone said to me ‘Boris do things the right way, the Express & Star way’.”

Boris also visited Wolverhampton University, which he said was unique for its integration with the local educational system.