A Canvey businessman has sent a £20,000 cheque to Castle Point Council to avoid any misunderstanding over the island's cemetery.

Terry Holding, chairman of Holding and Barnes Group at Charfleets industrial estate, made the offer after Safeway agreed to sell off land at Northwick Road for a new cemetery.

Some confusion arose as to whether Mr Holding would buy the land direct from Safeway and then hand it to Castle Point Council or donate the money to the council to buy the land itself.

However, to prove his offer was legitimate and avoid any mix-up, Mr Holding sent a £20,000 cheque to Castle Point Council and is waiting for a response.

Mr Holding, who stood as a Tory candidate in the May borough elections but was not voted in, said: "The money is a gift from my company to the residents for the explicit purchase of this land.

"There are no strings attached, other than if the council does not complete the purchase, the money is returned to my company with interest or if the council loses the land by defaulting on the contract with Safeway, the same return clause applies.

"For the peace of mind of the local people, we can hopefully look forward very soon to an announcement that this project is going ahead. If so, my company will have been pleased to have been of assistance."

However, it may be some time before a definite decision is made as the council is due to break for the summer.

Alison Henwood, borough solicitor, said: "I have acknowledged Mr Holding's letter and thanked him for his generosity.

"His offer will still have to go before the relevant committee to explain the nature of it. While Safeway has accepted our offer, subject to contract, we are waiting to receive the documentation. Only when we have that, can we start looking at a timescale. But I hope that all the legal work on the deal will be ready for the beginning of September."

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.