The Seven Kings peace dove that lit up the High Road through the winter for multi-faith festivals may not be returning to its perch this Christmas.

Redbridge Council’s area five committee spent £11,130 on the specially commissioned decorations, which included the dove mounted on a 10ft pole and religious symbols.

The unusual display was put into storage after coming down in January, with the intention of using it again at a lower cost.

It was switched on in October for Eid-Ul-Adha and continued through festivals including the birthday of Guru Nanak Dev sahib, Christmas and Hanukkah.

But the council is now creating a central festive lighting fund for Redbridge to reduce spending and make the process more efficient than the “ad hoc” applications previously put in for different areas.

The decorations will have to come from the same supplier – meaning that if the company behind the peace dove is not chosen, it cannot be used.

At a committee meeting on Monday at Barley Lane Primary School, in Huxley Drive, Goodmayes, Cllr Balvinder Saund said: “We don’t want the central council telling us what we can and can’t have.”

The committee postponed the decision to commit money for the new scheme.