Ono was presented with a statue of Lennon

Liverpool John Lennon Airport will be the first UK airport to be named after an individual.

Ono was presented with a scaled down version of the 7ft 6in statue of Lennon which will be a focal point at the airport.

She said: "Thank you very, very much for remembering John and for loving John.

"I am delighted Liverpool has decided to honour John in this way.

Fun

"John always reminded of us of the sense of fun in life. I hope the airport will send a great message to all corners of the world.

"As John said there is no hell below us, above us only sky."

Ono added that the new name opened a host of possibilities for the airport, including a Strawberry Fields cafe or a Give Peace a Chance lounge.

John Lennon was murdered in 1980

Airport owners Peel Holdings saw the move as a "fitting and lasting tribute" to the murdered star.

Celebrate life

It said it had not included Sir Paul McCartney in the name because this kind of tribute tended to celebrate an entire life.

But it revealed it had already had a message of support from Sir Paul.

While in the city Ono was made a Doctor of Laws by the University of Liverpool in recognition of her work as a conceptual artist, and for the John Lennon Memorial Scholarship which she helped establish in 1991.

In a ceremony at the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall, Yoko, 67, said: "You have no idea what this means to me, for this is not any city, this is Liverpool.

"It is my husband John's birthplace and the place that he never stopped talking about all his life.

"He would have been very proud for me to be receiving this honour."

Ono is also reported to have made a personal plea to ensure that the childhood home of her late husband is purchased and preserved.

The Mendips, on Menlove Avenue, Allerton, is to be put on the market and the National Trust has said it did not plan to preserve the home as it had done with the house where Paul McCartney grew up.