WITH reference to the article (December 17) about John Wilkins s proposed idea of a statue along side the A14, I feel utterly incensed by the idea that a statue of Oliver Cromwell might be erected adjacent to the A14. Does anyone realise he was the most h

WITH reference to the article (December 17) about John Wilkins's proposed idea of a statue along side the A14, I feel utterly incensed by the idea that a statue of Oliver Cromwell might be erected adjacent to the A14.

Does anyone realise he was the most hated man of his time and, on the restoration of Charles II, his body was exhumed from Westminster abbey and his head removed and displayed?

There is already enough of the Cromwell name in the area with the statue in St Ives. Even his family changed their surname. Why celebrate such a person existed except as a very sad part of British history?

Over a million Irish were killed by his campaign in Ireland. Today we call it ethnic cleansing. Perhaps a statue of Amin, Mugabe or Milosevic or General Ratko Mladic (Serbia) could stand alongside him. Cromwell was likened to a Nazi by modern historians.

As for the cost of the project, my taxes are certainly not going to be spent on such a monstrosity, and the Arts Council is part-funded by central Government.

Mr Wilkins is right in saying that the region suffers an identity problem, but let's not manufacture one. Most people are happy driving through Cambridgeshire not being able to link the area to some hideous statue.

The mosaic on St Neots Market square yet again underlines this. The Alfred jewel on which the mosaic was based sits in the Ashmolean Museum and depicts a figure which the town of St Neots believes was St Neot. This has only been speculated. Much more likely it depicts King Alfred himself or Christ. St Neot was only his vicar.

ROGER LANE

Wintringham

St Neots