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Daily Record
Daily Record
National
Debbie Hall

Second protest against Black Bitch pub name change will be held this weekend

A second protest against plans to change the name of the Black Bitch pub in Linlithgow is being staged this weekend.

Campaigners will meet at The Cross at 1pm on Saturday in their bid to stop owner Greene King from scrapping the name of the historic pub.

Last month more than 200 angry people made their voices heard at a protest against the controversial plans.

The Black Bitch in Linlithgow dates back to at least the 17th century and was originally named for a black, female greyhound that features on the town’s heraldic crest and symbolises a well-known local legend of a hunting dog that saved its master’s life.

But Greene King said the name needs to be changed to be more “inclusive”.

campaigners are fighting against changing the name of the historic pub (Stuart Vance/ReachPlc)

This week campaigners rubbished the owner’s claims they are trying to come to a conclusion acceptable to locals, saying the company is ignoring the views of over 11,000 people.

And they said they are “genuinely concerned” the already volatile situation could escalate after some received vile racist abuse.

Police Scotland are investigating “hate crime” messages sent to campaigners, who are trying to stop Greene King changing the name of the pub.

Protest organiser, Alistair Old, said he hopes to see “a crowd similar to the finale at the Riding of the Marches, when thousands throng the area around the Cross and Burgh Halls.”

He added: “There can’t be many folk in Scotland or indeed in the UK who aren’t aware of this issue now and there can’t be many people who don’t know the historic story.”

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