A local councillor has weighed into the debate over Kidnappers Lane, adjacent to a new school in Cheltenham, saying it's one of those 'quirky' names that make places interesting.

Local resident Paul McKenna urged the council to consider a 're-brand'  to get rid of the 'outdated and unfortunate' name.

The £30 million High School Leckhampton, currently under construction, is on the junction of Kidnappers Lane and Farm Lane.

But Cheltenham Borough councillor Martin Horwood said: "I'm sure it won't faze secondary school students at Leckhampton High - they see much scarier stuff on their Xboxes every day.

"Kidnappers Lane is one of those quirky and distinctive local names that makes places interesting. I grew up right next to Kidnappers Lane and it didn't scare me at all. My friends thought it was quite cool."

Besides, he argues, the area has form for grisly names.

"Look uphill from Kidnappers Lane and you'll see Dead Man's Quarry and the Devil's Chimney," he said.

The origins of the name are lost in the mists of time, but it's known that Kidnappers Lane is very old - older than the Shurdington Road which cut through it in 1822. The first mention in print was in the Ordnance Survey map of 1884.

Eric Miller, co-ordinator of research for the Leckhampton local history society, said: "I am sorry to have to say that nobody has the explanation, though you may hear some fanciful conjectures.

"It is widely supposed that 'kidnapper' in this case relates to the keeping of goats and leather working, but this is very unlikely.

"Similarly, one can rule out any connection with the 'knapping' or breaking of flint as flint does not occur naturally in the local soil.

"The other explanation, of course, is that the name is an allusion to a past incident, but if so, no one can produce chapter and verse to prove it!"

Cllr Horwood added: "If these unusual names stimulate new school students to take an interest in the ancient landscape around them, that will be a result in my book. And I would worry if we lost the names of any of these mysterious pieces of local history."

In any case, the official address of the school will actually be Farm Lane which should avoid any 'safeguarding' issues with the education authorities.