IT is an issue of county pride: two of Oxfordshire’s most dearly-held street names are being challenged by a Bell End in the West Midlands.

It's true - residents in a road called Bell End in Rowley Regis are complaining that the name is so embarrassing it is bringing down house prices and hurting their reputation.

In fact, the situation has got so bad some of this week’s national newspapers have claimed Bell End’s cheek-reddening name is bad enough to rival Oxford’s own Crotch Crescent in Marston or the beloved Cockshoot Close in Stonesfield.

But are these quirky appellations a part of our history and heritage?

They make good stories every once in a while, of course...