A PROPOSAL to appoint Indian billionaire Lakshmi Mittal as Kazakhstan's honorary consul to Chatham was today met with derision by Medway's Mayor Tony Goulden.

Mr Mittal has been in the headlines since it was revealed Prime Minister Tony Blair had written a letter of support for his company taking over a Romanian steel firm. It has now been reported he could serve in the unusual diplomatic posting of Chatham as he seeks out new investment opportunities for Kazakhstan.

Cllr Goulden said: "I can confirm Mr Mittal wrote in and I thought he must have been a lunatic, so I asked my office to forward it on to the chief executive Judith Armitt."

Why Kazakhstan, a little-known country in the former Soviet Republic, would need an honorary consul in Chatham was not explained by its embassy, where staff chose to remain tight-lipped on the matter.

Mr Mittal is linked to Medway through his steel business empire, which has a subsidiary in Chatham called Kent Wire.

A spokesman for the Foreign Office was unavailable for comment.