A tycoon has offered to buy a cemetery plot for Canvey and hand it over to residents for free, it has been revealed.

Terry Holding, a salvage businessman who was defeated when he stood as a Conservative candidate in the recent local elections, has offered to buy the site in Northwick Road and donate it to the council.

He is unpaid chairman of Holding and Barnes Company based on Charfleets industrial estate, Canvey. Yesterday he said his word was his bond and if the council accepts the offer, he will send the cheque.

He said: "I am from the old school and I am as good as my word but the council has not got back to me yet.

"My business has always been a community-minded company. I personally believe the old people get the worst deal in life and they are the ones who worry about where they are being buried.

"I've been thinking about this since the cemetery issue was put on the boil."

The 66-year-old retired millionaire from Orsett said: "It is our way of doing something for the older people - and I should know as I am old myself.

"We are doing it for the benefit of the people who live on Canvey and want to be buried on the island."

Tory leader Doug Roberts announced HBC's offer at a stunned full council meeting. He said: "HBC has offered to purchase the site from Safeway for £20,000 and hand it over to the council. The offer has been made over the phone to council officers."

Mr Roberts said there would be "no strings attached" to the deal.

Dave Wells, Labour leader of the council, said the council had acknowledged the offer but the full council would have to make a final decision as no written offer had yet been made.

It was announced in June that supermarket giant Safeway had finally agreed to sell the 10-acre site to the council for £20,000.

Chief executive, Barry Rollinson, pointed out the Environment Agency had

said the land was not suitable for cemetery purposes in its present condition and considerable work was needed to prepare the site.

The total estimated cost of the new cemetery has been put at £148,000.

Islanders have been campaigning for a new cemetery for the past five years.

The last remaining burial plot on the island was taken at St Katherine's in Long Road last October. Since then, islanders have been forced to seek plots at Woodside cemetery in Benfleet.

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