Tourists could soon be arriving in Halstead after the town council agreed to handle bookings for tours of the area’s historical and floral highlights.

Plans have been in the pipeline for months, but the chief organiser said several groups were now pulling together to make them a reality.

Annette Randall, of the Halstead Town Team, said: “I am absolutely thrilled to bits. Teams in the town are working together as a community, which is absolutely brilliant."

The Town Team will handle promotion, the town council will take payments for bookings, and tours will be conducted by volunteers from Halstead in Bloom and the History Society.

Mrs Randall said Halstead and the surrounding area was full of interesting historical and architectural sites and tourists already regularly stayed at the Bull Hotel in Bridge Street.

Town clerk Mike Murkin said the council could offer the service at no extra cost.

He said: “We have agreed to do the bookings because we already do the bookings for our senior citizens trips.

“We will just be a booking agent for the Town Team- they will advertise and we will take the bookings.

“We are a presence in the town and our offices are open five days a week, from 9am to 4pm and we are geared up to take cash and debit card payments."