By

Daryll Fapoosi

A ROW has broken out after a woman called Leigh Sinton was barred from joining a local support group for people with the same names as places.

Miss Sinton said she was rejected from the group because her name is pronounced "Lee" while the village is "Lie" even though they are both spelt exactly the same.

The 20-year-old from St John's was left angered after the Same Name Society said her name did not meet its strict criteria.

The group was set up by Martin Hussingtree in 2005 and currently has eight members including Ferne Hill-Heath, Sal Warpe and Cherry Orchard.

Miss Sinton said: "It's ridiculous.

"They said their constitution prevents them from including anyone who doesn't pronounce it the same as the place.

"But obviously my friend Barb Bourne, who told me about the group, is really called Barbara Bourne and they let her join.

"When I pointed that out, they said I could have joined if my name was Lyra and I shortened it to Ly for a nickname but I can't join with the name Leigh.

"It seems like madness to me. They are just jobsworths."

Miss Sinton said she was particularly annoyed with the rejection because she had spent much of her school life being teased about her unusual name and feeling like a "laughing stock."

She said: "This was my chance to meet some new friends who understood the challenge of having a funny name. It really is very disappointing."

However, the group's chairman Martin Hussingtree said: "We do sympathise very much with Miss Sinton.

"I originally set up the support group to help people who, like me, were sick of being the butt of so-called jokes about their names.

"I can understand her frustration that the particular spelling of her name puts her right in the firing line for some of these jokers but, if we make an exception for one, then we will have to do it for all."

Mr Hussingtree has lived just yards from the sign for the hamlet all his life and believes his name is the fault of his fun-loving father who he says chose Martin deliberately after a dare from his uncle.

He said: "I've had to be thick-skinned about it but it probably wasn't his best idea.

"I did consider moving away once but my wife wasn't keen."

He added: "I do wish we could allow Miss Sinton to join but we have to protect the integrity of our group or it just becomes a nonsense."