IN 2016, proposals were put forward to change Weston-super-Mare's name after years of being misspelt.

Senior town figures discussed whether to introduce a capital S to the ‘super’ in the town’s name, ending decades of contentious grammatical errors.

Reports suggested the move could have cost Weston tens of thousands of pounds in re-branding, including signs around the town and the electoral roll.

Speaking at the time in an exclusive interview, leading linguistic academic Harry Oaks, from the Journal of English Simple Toponymy which proposed the change, said: “If the cap fits, wear it – and Weston should do just that with its name.

“Letters can have an almost subliminal impact on people. In the short-term, it may cost a little to introduce but further down the line people from further afield who see Weston puts an emphasis on being super will be tempted into coming here.

“Furthermore, it will also put an end to confusion over the spelling and make things a lot simpler.”

Objections were voiced in some quarters over what had been labelled a ‘logistical nightmare’ to introduce, with alteration costs estimated to amount to at least £70,000.

Less expensive solutions were also suggested, including giving artists bespoke precision-cut stencils to spray over each existing lower-case ‘s’ on signs in and around the town.