Plans to give councillors medals for service have been "put on the backburner."

At a recent council meeting Chigwell Parish Councillors were asked to consider proposals by chairman Darshan Sungar to give medals to long-serving and worthy members.

After the idea was first floated earlier in the autumn, parish clerk Anthony Belgrave was tasked with bringing costed proposals to the councillors' attentions.

He produced multiple options.

One, from Recognition Express Essex, was for eleven 50mm custom-mould, die stamped metal medal costing £470.

Another, from Promo2u, got to the stage where the designs for a 50mm metal medal with contrasted metal finish, printed ribbon and a presentation box were with the company's "factory in the far east", official correspondence shows.

That would have cost £721.50 plus VAT for 100, an amount Cllr Sungar said the council would not have purchased.

They would have ordered about ten.

When put before the council the proposals did not receive members full backing however.

Cllr Sungar said: "It was my initiative. I wanted to recognised some councillors that we have done long service.

"I wanted to explore the idea. Remember these are people who aren't paid for their work as councillors.

"No one got a medal. I don't think it was properly considered. We have put it on the back burner.

"The thought came about because the district council brought about an initiative to reward long serving Councillors. "

Cllr Sungar suggested those in line for a medal would have included Cllr Kewal Chana and Cllr Jon Knapman.