Months of bitter wrangling over plans to twin Billericay with its daughter town in the USA have finally come to an end.

Billericay Mayflower Twinning Association's twinning agreement with Billerica in Massachusetts is at last to become official.

The link became tangled in controversy when national watchdog the Local Government International Bureau refused to recognise it.

The LGIB, which originally rejected the Billerica deal because of its concerns over the BMTA's twinning association constitution, recently gave the link-up its blessing after approving an amended copy.

And now Billericay Town Council has also come out in support, after the BMTA agreed to its representative, Cllr Peter Greenwood, joining its committee, removing the last stumbling block towards official twin status.

Twinning association spokesman Claire Morley welcomed the town council's decision: "We are very pleased that it's finally all settled, and we are looking forward to getting on with our real work."

Cllr Greenwood hopes that the news will help heal the wounds created by the acrimonious dispute between supporters of the Billerica deal and the Billericay Twinning Association, which backed a link with the town of Fishers in Indiana.

He said: "I think it's a great opportunity to bury all the bad feeling between the two societies, which must be of benefit for the whole of Billericay."

Billericay Mayflower Twinning Association is looking for Billericay pen pals for two sisters in Billerica, aged nine and 10. They are both junior girl scouts and would particularly like to hear from girl guides.

If you fit the bill and would like to get in touch, or you know someone who would, contact the BMTA on 01277 652609 or e-mail the group on bmta@btinternet.com

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