FURIOUS villagers have forced a local council to abandon plans to call a new cul-de-sac Carr Close near to the homes of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, the murdered Soham schoolgirls.

Residents of Haddenham accused East Cambridgeshire District Council of gross insensitivity over the name because it acts as a reminder of Maxine Carr, the former fiancée of Ian Huntley who murdered the ten-year-olds.

The move by the council to abandon the name came only hours after it had insisted that it would stick by the name for the new development, which is just eight miles from the homes of the two girls.

Margaret Johnson, a grandmother who has lived in Haddenham for 30 years, said: “It is so insensitive of the council to agree this name just before the third anniversary of the murders.

“What are we going to get next — Huntley Drive? We are a few miles away from where the dreadful murders happened — but this is a country area and we are virtually a neighbouring village “You cannot use the name Carr around here without people being reminded of Maxine Carr and the role she played in case.

“The name Carr is instantly associated with the murders and it makes me very angry to think it is going on a road sign.Everyone I have spoken to in the village is furious about it — with the exception of one lady whose maiden name was Carr. It might not have been so bad in a few years’ time — but memories of this horrific case are still fresh in people’s minds.”

Carr, 27, was jailed for three and a half years in December 2003 for conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.

The teaching assistant lied to police about her whereabouts in August 2002 to give the impression that she was with Huntley, a school caretaker, when the girls went missing.

Huntley was sentenced to life in prison after being convicted of the murder of the girls.

The name Carr Close had been initially suggested by the developer, Reason Homes, which built the 14 houses and bungalows, because Carr is the Anglo-Saxon word for reclaimed marshland.

The firm originally gave its development the temporary name Aldreth Meadows before proposing to call it either Carr Close or Rowan Close after the variety of tree.

But despite Haddenham parish council and the local Women’s Institute objecting to the council’s decision to choose Carr Close, council leaders initially refused to back down.

Sean Gallagher, the East Cambridgeshire District Council spokesman, said: “We think the people who are complaining are being over-sensitive. While conscious of people’s sensibilities, normal everyday life has to go on.”

Robert Norman, 73, a semi-retired fruit-grower and parish councillor, said: “We just thought the word Carr was totally inappropriate because of the memories it brings back.”

Yesterday, however, the council acquiesced and instructed the developers to switch to Rowan Close.

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