A PORTRAIT of a former Basildon mayor is now hanging in a hotel corridor after it was removed from the council chamber.

The picture of the borough’s first mayor, Mo Larkin, who stood down in May, had been put up in the St George’s Suite, at the Basildon Centre.

Mrs Larkin believed the portrait, by artist Anthony Ellis, would be a permanent fixture in the chamber, but it was taken down by council officials just weeks after she left office.

She said: “I’ve had a run-in with the council about my portrait, which was put up there for perpetuity.

“Tony Ball (former council leader) and I don’t really know why it was taken down - everyone wanted to set up a petition and so many people have rung me up about it.”

Mrs Larkin, who had been mayor since 2010, realised the painting had been taken down when she attended a meeting in June to hand the chains of office to her successor, Don Morris.

She states council officials would not indicate what they intended to do with the portrait and claims to have been told it was taken down in case people were “offended” by it.

Because of the uncertainty, the former mayor asked for the picture back, and Greenwoods Hotel and Spa, in Stock, has offered to display it in a corridor.

A Basildon Council spokesman said: “The picture was put up at the request of the former mayor.

“It was taken down at the end of her term of office, on the instruction of committee services, who were arranging the display of photographic portraits of the former mayor and future mayors.”

The council has nominated Mrs Larkin for the title of honorary alderman and will vote on the nomination at a meeting on Thursday.