Residents win fight to keep ‘Bell End’ street name after neighbours complained they were a ‘laughing stock’

A historic road in the West Midlands will not be getting a name change, despite causing embarrassment to some locals.

Bell End in Rowley Regis will be keeping its controversial name after a petition to change it attracted nearly 5,000 signatures.

The petition was set up to counter a separate one that was set up to demand the street be renamed because locals felt they had become a ‘laughing stock’.

It claimed that children were being bullied and teased at school when pupils found out the name of the street where they lived.

However, that petition only pulled in around 100 signatures when it was set up in January and Sandwell Council have now confirmed Bell End will remain as it is.

A council spokesman told Birmingham Live: ‘We have not received any petitions, either for or against a name change, at this stage.’

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Linda George, who set up the ‘Leave the Historic Name of Bell End Alone!’ petition, added: ‘The petition to have the name changed didn’t have enough support.

‘There has been no further action after my petition had so much support.’

Ms George said that the name of the street dates back to the bell on a hunting lodge, belonging to King John.

A 2014 list of the rudest street names in Britain placed Bell End in fourth place.

Topping the list was Minge Lane, followed by Slag Lane and Fanny Hands in Ludford, Lincolnshire.