ONLY days after the anniversary of the Battle of Worcester, we are left wondering what Oliver Cromwell would have had to say about the closing of the historic Guildhall doors.

After all, the Lord Protector had seen many battles in his time. Perhaps he would have brought up a few cannon and laid siege.

Seriously though, the fact that ordinary people are now barred from entering through these portals is a cause for concern.

And we do have to say that the whole episode smacks of bureaucracy at work.

When Mayor Aubrey Tarbuck visited Worcester's most historic building for a book launch on Saturday, he was absolutely right to be angry.

The historic entrance that had witnessed the arrival of men such as Nelson and Winston Churchill, plus assorted royalty, was firmly shut.

We are told that following a programme to provide access for the disabled, a side door is to be used from now on.

Ah, says chief executive David Wareing. The main doors will still be used for civic occasions.

And the changes were made in the interest of equality, he insists.

This newspaper begs to disagree. The Guildhall belongs to the people of Worcester. It is a public building, funded by the taxpayer, and the democratic hub of one of England's most historic cities.

All of us have the right to enter through the front door, not the side entrance. No doubt Cromwell would agree, too.