'Bell End' saved after residents petition to keep street's historic name

Residents campaigned to save 'Bell End' Credit: PA

A street called Bell End will keep its name after thousands of people signed a petition to save it.

Residents of the street in Rowley Regis, Sandwell, complained that it is one of the rudest road names in the country and started a petition to change it in January.

They claimed youngsters would be bullied at school and called on the council to rename it because they had become a "laughing stock".

The petition attracted 100 signatures and sparked a rival campaign - titled "Leave the Historic Name of Bell End Alone!" - which received more than 4,800 supporters.

The rival petition read: "None of the residents and locals and those that have longstanding family connections, that are known to me, want this pointless change and in fact find the suggestion that it should be changed deeply offensive."

A Sandwell Council spokesman confirmed that Bell End would not be changing and said they hadn't received any petitions either for or against a name change.

The road was ranked fourth on a list of the top 15 most rude-sounding streetnames in the UK in 2014.

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