Chelmsford must wait a bit longer to discover if it will finally be awarded the coveted, and, many consider, long overdue, city status.

The county town is one of 39 which have applied to become a city in this millennium year, but no announcement was made over the New Year period and the borough council says it has no idea when the news will come.

A spokeswoman for the Home Office, which advises The Queen on the selection, said the department had always made it clear the decision would not come over the New Year period. There was as yet no date set for the announcement, nor any indication of which town was to be selected, she said.

A leading bookmaker was on Tuesday quoting odds of 16-1 on Chelmsford's chances. This put it in sixth place behind the favourite, Brighton and Hove, at 4-1, followed by Guildford at 11-2, Luton at 8-1, Milton Keynes at 12-1, and Reading at 14-1.

If Chelmsford does not pull off the accolade this time around, there will be another chance in 2002, when The Queen is expected to create a further city to mark the 50th anniversary of her accession.

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