A VILLAGE is up in arms over proposals to move an historic milestone to a neighbouring site - two miles away

Furious residents of Little Witley, near Worcester, have sworn to take the matter to Westminster.

They are incensed that their parish councillor, Terry Griffin, has made an agreement with the secretary of the Milestone Society to allow the "village icon" to be moved to Grimley in return for a millstone to decorate his garden.

One villager, Celia Robinson, said the milestone dates back to 1734, and despite being on private land, is a village possession.

"I will not rest until it is listed and no one can move it," said Mrs Robinson.

"I have collected 131 names on a petition," she continued, "and it is going to Westminster.

"I am going to get our MP, Sir Michael Spicer, involved in this.

"It is not Mr Griffin's to give away. As a parish councillor, he is in a position of responsibility. He has not consulted the rest of the village as to what they think," she claimed.

She was also angry that Mr Griffin has now built a fence and a privet hedge on the road-side of the milestone, obscuring it from public view.

Mr Griffin refused to comment to the Evening News, saying it was a matter for the village to resolve.

Terry Keegan, a member of the Milestone Society has been working to restore a network of milestones from Great Witley to Worcester. There is already a 70-year-old milestone on the other side of the road in Little Witley, but Grimley is without a milestone.

Redundant

"Last year, at a parish council meeting, I heard that there was a redundant milestone missing its plaque in Mr Griffin's garden.

"At first he was adamant that the milestone would not be moved, but the parish council secretary said he could talk him round. I offered a millstone from my garden as a replacement for the redundant milestone," he said.

Two missing

His county council-backed project is missing only two milestones - one in Hallow and another in Grimley.

But Mr Keegan has now decided to withdraw from the controversy.

He said: "We (The Milestone Society) are in the business of linking communities, not splitting them up, so we have decided to let the village sort it out themselves."