SOUTHEND’S new mayor is dressing down and will wear a less glitzy chain of office while out and about – in a bid to save council cash.

David Norman, who was inaugurated last month, has been wearing less ostentatious regalia, made of gilt and costing £1,500, for his day-to-day mayoral activities.

The new chain means he can go to events unaccompanied, without the expense of another council worker accompanying him, to keep an eye on the traditional gold chain, thought to be worth more than £50,000.

The old chain, which dates back to 1892, will be worn just for special occasions like Remem-brance Day and elections.

Mr Norman, a former Labour group leader, said: “I am sure this will prove to be a satisfactory and practical arrangement.”

A Southend Council spokesman said the traditional chain was a “historical piece of council regalia” and was irreplaceable, even though it is insured.

He added: “Because it is worth so much, the mayor had to be accompanied by another officer when out and about, usually the mace-bearer.

“Southend has followed the example of many other councils across the country in finding a replacement chain, which looks very nice, but is a fraction of the value.

“Now the mayor is able to do more activities on his own and the council saves officer time and money.”

As part of Southend Council’s saving of £15.5million this year, the mayor’s budget is being slashed by £34,000 to about £193,000.

Official events and staffing costs are being scaled back, though Mr Norman will still attend about 500 to 600 events this year.

This year, the official Mayor’s Ball fell victim to the cuts as did the mayor’s inaugural tea, which was a less lavish affair than in previous years.

l MR Norman has just launched his own Twitter feed to keep Southend residents updated on his activities as mayor in the borough and beyond.

He said: “I think it is right the people of Southend should be able to see what the mayor is doing on their behalf in our town.

“Twitter is the ideal medium to publish my daily diary, together with a few comments from time to time.”

To see Mr Norman’s Twitter account, go to twitter.com/#!/ Southend_Mayor