British pub changes name after complaints about it being 'offensive' despite different meaning

A UK pub has been forced to change its name after it was deemed offensive - despite the name meaning something completely different.

British pubs are often feature some pretty weird and wonderful names, with some often dating back hundreds of years.

However, one pub has found themselves on the receiving of an online petition due to its unfortunate moniker.

One pub in Abingdon, Oxfordshire was in hot water over its name (Greene King)

Situated in Abingdon, Oxfordshire is The Midget, which is owned by UK pub chain Greene King.

The boozer - which opened its doors in 1974 - took its name from the iconic MG EX 127 car, which had the nickname 'Magic Midget'.

MG had previously operated a factory in Abingdon, so when the pub originally opened its doors, it seemed natural to honour an iconic car from their motoring history.

The MG EX 127 car is most notable for breaking the world speed record back in 1932 after reaching a dizzying 120 mph.

Despite the innocent intentions behind the name, the pub has now faced a petition to rebrand - given the fact that 'midget' is now considered to be an outdated and derogatory term for a person with dwarfism.

The online petition was started by Dr Erin Pritchard, a disability lecturer at Liverpool Hope University, who wanted to raise awareness about the offensive connotations with the word.

The pub was named after a famous car from the twon (Greene King)

"I have dwarfism and like the majority of people with dwarfism find the word offensive," she said.

"I doubt anyone would tolerate a pub with a name containing an equally derogatory slur against another group of disabled people or an ethnic minority."

Following the petition receiving over 1000 signatures, Greene King has since confirmed the pub's name will be changed to The Roaring Raindrop following a major refurbishment.

The new name also takes inspiration from the town's MG history, as the Roaring Raindrop was the nickname for the MG EX 181 - which had also broken speed records.

Following the decision, Zoe Bowley, managing director of Greene King pubs, revealed in a statement (via Metro) that the chain had spoken with Dr Pritchard about the name, before selecting a new one to represent the pub.

The Oxfordshire town has a history of producing MG cars (Getty Stock Images)

"Pubs are at the heart of communities and are all about bringing people together," she said.

"We hope that making the change in this way helps to preserve our pub’s historic links to Abingdon’s past while simultaneously ensuring our pub can be a place where everyone feels welcome."

Meanwhile Dr Pritchard has since said she was happy to see Greene King were 'open to addressing concerns about disablist hate speech'.

"It is a term that should be consigned to the history books," she added.

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