A MISSION to help orphans of the Tsunami in Sri Lanka was shelved because of civil war in the country.

Basildon Council chief executive, Bala Mahendran, was given a £10,000 grant by the authority to take part in a series of visits to help rebuild areas of the north east of the country which were ravaged by the Boxing Day tidal wave in 2004.

Mr Mahendran, a Tamil, went on one trip as part of the Essex County Council-led project with Lord Hanningfield in early 2005, before his own council pledged the cash for extra trips.

However, because of civil war between Tamils and the Sanhalese, the area they were working in has been deemed too dangerous and there have been no further visits. Mr Mahendran said: "It is very disappointing, but it is too dangerous for the work to continue with the fighting in that area."

Lord Hanningfield said it was a "great shame."

He said: "There is a pot of £50million from the Government still sitting in the World Bank which cannot be spent because of the situation.

"We had children's play equipment ready to send out, but could not because of the fighting.

"The whole thing has had to be put aside for now and it is most unfortunate for the orphans who we are now unable to help."

Basildon Council leader Malcolm Buckley said none of the £10,000 pledged had been used as a result.

He said: "It would be safer for me to go out there, because as a Tamil, Bala would be a potential target.

"He went on a private visit at Christmas to see relatives in Colombo, but even then there was a bomb attack on one of the temples while he was there."