Sir, Can nothing shame, nor any of our three councils — Wantage Town, Vale of White Horse District, Oxfordshire County — do anything to stop outsiders purloining the ancient name of Letcombe Fields between Wantage and Letcombe Regis and applying it to a totally unassociated Stockham area housing development.

When I wrote last September about the usurping of the name, it was suggested that the name was being used only as an initial name for marketing purposes and could be altered before the official deeds etc were finalised.

I was sceptical then and even more so now after receiving a leaflet from developers Bovis extolling the virtues of their houses in Letcombe Fields and seeing their signpost near the Mably Way roundabout giving directions towards the west, when the true Letcombe Fields are in a completely different direction, south-west of the town.

It seems that some developers are not content with adding to the area’s burdens by not contributing financially to the cost of local services and amenities but want to take from us one of our old names without so much as a by-your-leave. Legally, they may have the right, as I doubt if Letcombe Fields is a registered name or trademark, but, as I said before, it shows an utter contempt and disregard to the community they find it advantageous to impose upon.

Further to my letter about the VC Gallery paintings, I have since found that the first Victoria Cross awarded by Queen Victoria in June 1857 went to Sgt Luke O’Connor (1831-1915), from Elphin, County Roscommon, who joined the Royal Welch Fusiliers as a private in 1849, won his VC in the Crimea, received a Medal of Military Valour (Italy) and rose to Major-General KCB. Was his Private to General unique? Did his VC painting survive storage during the Second World War, I wonder.

Jack Loftin

Charlton Village Road

Wantage