BRITAIN should not “betray its history” just to appease its European Union (EU) partners, according to a pub landlord.

Phil Watford runs The Waterloo Pub, in Wellington Street, Gravesend, and has reacted angrily to an EU official’s suggestion British place names should be changed to avoid offending the French.

Chief of the European Investment Fund Francis Carpenter proposed altering the names of historic places such as Trafalgar Square and Waterloo station.

But his comments, made last week in French newspaper Le Figaro, have angered many people who are proud of Britain’s past glories.

Mr Watford, 60, slammed the proposals and says nobody will change the name of his pub without a fight.

The grandfather-of-four said: “We are losing our culture and history year by year with European bureaucrats sticking their noses in.

“Our country should not betray its history just to appease a bunch of cheese-eating surrender monkeys.” Mr Watford says it is too late to rewrite history and the British people have much to be proud of.

He said: “I guess the French are going to change place names which might offend us as well but I suppose they haven’t won enough battles to worry about that.” Mr Watford says the French are lucky Britain has such a great military history.

He said: “We liberated them twice and they would probably be speaking German now if it wasn’t for us.

“We lost millions of men in the First and Second World War helping them.” He added: “I don’t see how things which happened as long ago as the Battle of Waterloo can offend people now.

“It’s beyond a joke. It’s absurd.” Leader of the Conservative group on Gravesham Council Councillor Michael Snelling is determined the plans must not go ahead.

He said: “It is absolute nonsense and these proposals should be dismissed out of hand.” What do you think? Email newsroom@london.newsquest.co.uk