Billericay has been honoured in America, with a park in the state of Indiana being named after the town.

Billericay's sister city of Fishers has christened a new community area, "Billericay Park".

The decision was taken following a unanimous vote by the Fishers Town Council, and follows the twinning of Billericay and Fishers.

Terry Johnson, president of the Fishers Sister Cities Association, described the move as part of a general programme to raise awareness about its sister town.

He said: "The purpose of having this park named after Billericay is to make the people aware that we have a sister city of that name in England.

"The more familiarity with the name Billericay the more impact it will have on the meaning of our having a sister city.

"There is no question about the sincerity of having Billericay as our sister city. We are proud of that."

The new 30 acre park is located near a new 150 acre school site which will be developed over the years. The first part of the school is expected to open this autumn.

It is envisioned that thousands of young people from the area, along with their families, will be able to use the park.

Gerald Dann, chairman of the Billericay Town Twinning Association, said it was an honour to have the new park named after Billericay.

He said: "We were pleasantly surprised when we heard about the decision."

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