OH dear! Just as Winchester City Council is planning to drop King Alfred from its tourism logo, it produces a new civic yearbook.

Guess who's on the front cover?

Yes, right first time - it's Alfred!

The publication of the new yearbook proudly emblazoned with Winchester's most famous resident has exposed a clear display of embarrassing double standards among council chiefs.

Tourism bosses placed a question mark over King Alfred's head in a bid to modernise Winchester's image to prospective visitors.

The front cover of the yearbook has carried a picture of the Guildhall, the home of Winchester City Council, for the past five years so the decision to suddenly include King Alfred in front of the building has come as a surprise.

It is published at the start of every municipal year, after the local elections in May, and contains important information on who's who in the council.

"We always show pictures of the Guildhall on the yearbook and this is just another view taken from a different angle," said Ian Hogg, a spokesman for Winchester City Council.

"We have no plans to ditch King Alfred and the yearbook has nothing to do with tourism strategy. The branding and logo of the city is a totally separate issue and it's not at all embarrassing."

George Hollingbury, the prospective Conservative parliamentary candidate and city councillor, is one of the scores of Winchester residents who believe in the importance of King Alfred's legacy to the city.

"I have yet to see the proposals they are making about using another emblem to represent Winchester so I don't want to prejudge them.

"But if you want a demonstration of the power of Alfred in Winchester, the choice of using him on the cover of the yearbook says a great deal."

Chairman of the Winchester City Residents Association, Alan Weeks, is another strong supporter of the King Alfred symbol.

"The question is who is right? It certainly seems that the city is right on this and the tourist board is wrong. If they cannot sell Winchester as a historic city they should not be there."

See today's Daily Echo to read some of the many letters we have received protesting about the proposed removal of King Alfred from the city's tourism logo.

Do you back the campaign to Save King Alfred? Phone Sarah Jones at the Daily Echo on 01962 854355 or e-mail using the link above.