THE people of Epping will now decide if a play park should be re-named after fallen Royal Marine Georgie Sparks.

A vote looks set to be organised by the town council following an unprecedented campaign by Georgie's family, friends and comrades.

After 19-year-old Georgie died in Afghanistan last November, town mayor Ben Murphy offered his parents Wayne and Toni the chance for their son's name to be remembered by re-naming the play park after him.

The couple from Theydon Mount, Epping, invited their son's fellow marines to the re-naming ceremony, which would have coincided with the welcome home parade for Georgie's comrades on Sunday, but the rest of the councillors threw out the proposals, saying it would set a precedent.

Hundreds of people have supported the campaign to overturn the decision and councillors have finally listened to their growing voice.

But town clerk Bob Whittome said the process could take more than three months to complete even if it is formally approved at an extraordinary meeting of the town council tomorrow (Friday).

Speaking to the Guardian on the day Georgie was due to have returned home from Afghanistan, Mr Sparks said he was "fed up with fighting the council."

He added: "It should be about Georgie but it's not anymoe. This should have been a totally different day and we should have been seeing his face coming off that plane.

"Instead we're sitting here by the war memorial."

If the vote is approved the people of Epping will be given a choice of three options - to decide if Stonards Hill is named after Georgie; if it should have a plaque in memory of Georgie or if the park should be left as it is.