Bell End residents start petition to change street name because they have become 'a laughing stock'

But Minge Lane resident Stephen Young called the reaction 'over the top'
'Laughing stock': The name Bell End has been criticised by residents after fears it could be misconstrued as offensive
PA
Patrick Grafton-Green2 January 2018

A petition has been launched to change a street's "offensive" name after residents complained they have become a “laughing stock”.

People living in Bell End in the West Midlands town of Sandwell say it is one of the rudest street names in England.

A petition calling on Sandwell Council to change the name has attracted 12 signatures so far amid claims that young residents could be bullied at school.

But a 72-year-old man who lives in a street named Minge Lane said the Bell End residents' actions were "over the top."

Bell End in Rowley Regis was ranked fourth on a list of the top 15 most rude-sounding street names in the UK in 2014.

Bell End: The petition has gained 12 signatures so far
PA

The petition page on change.org reads: "As you may be aware, the term 'Bell End' can be seen and used as a rude and/or a offensive word.

"It can affect people including children being bullied and teased at school and generally now become a laughing stock, as seen very recently on Facebook and other social media sites, and it's time for a change."

However Stephen Young, of Minge Lane in Worcester, which was voted the rudest-sounding street name, called the reaction "a bit silly".

He said: "There has been no plan to change the name of our road.

"We have had a problem with people nicking the sign but nobody is that fussed about the name.

"There are no plans to start a petition, people are happy with the name of the road."

Speaking about the plans of residents from Bell End, Mr Young said: "It's a bit silly really. It is a bit over the top."

On the 2014 list, Minge Lane beat Slag Lane to be crowned the rudest street name in the UK - with Fanny Hands Lane in Ludford, Lincolnshire, completing the top three.

Fourth place was given to Bell End, and Crotch Crescent in Marston, Oxfordshire, came fifth, with The Knob, Turkey Cock Lane, Cockshoot Close, Cumming Street and Cock A-Dobby rounding off the top 10.

Cock Lane, Clitterhouse Road, Cock and Bell Lane, Beaver Close and Cold Blow Lane were ranked 11 to 15 respectively.

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in