Bell End: Black Country residents want street name changed

Bell End in Rowley Regis leads on to Mincing Lane

A petition to change the name of a street because it is "too rude" has been launched.

Some residents in Bell End, in the Black Country, claim the "offensive word" makes them a laughing stock and their children a target for bullies.

But not everyone in the road, which leads on to Mincing Lane in Rowley Regis, agrees with the campaign.

One felt it just the tip of the iceberg, and feared doorknobs would be the next target for a name change.

Commenting on Facebook, Nicki Pritchatt told the petition's organiser to "get a life".

'Get a life'

The online campaign, started by an anonymous internet user, argues that "children are being bullied and teased at school" because of their address.

But according to Roland Burrows, a curator at the street's Christian Heritage Centre, it is named after a former coalmine nearby.

"I think it's a great name," he said.

"I've never thought of any rude connotations at all."

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Bell End came fourth in a 2014 list of the UK's rudest street names

It was beaten by Minge Lane, in Upton-upon-Severn, Worcestershire, where 72-year-old Stephen Young said no such petition had popped up.

"Nobody is that fussed about the name", he said, and the only real problem was "people nicking the sign".

He described the campaign as "a bit over the top".

In the four weeks since it was launched, the petition has been something of a flop, receiving just 23 signatures.