AN HISTORIAN has labelled Witney Town Council's refusal to back plans to celebrate the town's 800th anniversary as "rather sad".

Charles Gott said Witney was named in 969, but its birth as a modern town occurred in 1208, when Bishop of Winchester Peter Des Roches began creating the large market place - now Church Green - in the centre of the town.

Mr Gott, the co-author of three books on Witney's history, is planning to celebrate the anniversary in 2008, and would like schools and other local groups to stage their own events.

He approached the council to back plans for a year of celebrations earlier this year.

But town mayor Chrissie Curry said the council could not support the celebrations because there was too much evidence to suggest the anniversary fell at a different time.

Mr Gott, 71, from Weavers Close, Witney, has recently completed The New Book Of Witney with his wife Joan - their third history of the town. He said: "There is no document that says 1208 is when it happened, but from various documents and inferences we think it is about 1208.

"The council said because we cannot prove exactly what date it was they felt they could not support it.

"I have not asked them to contribute money. One hoped they might find some money or could raise money to put up a banner.

"I can understand it, but I think it is rather sad."

Ms Curry said councillors had been enthusiastic about Mr Gott's plans until they researched the subject and found references from the 12th century.

She said the council would support Mr Gott's plans to stage a play called The Witney Story, in October, by providing the Corn Exchange free of charge.

The New Book of Witney is a revised history based on the couple's previous books The Book of Witney and The Revised Book of Witney, published in 1986 and 1992 respectively.

The couple worked for a year on the new book after thousands of copies of the previous books sold out.

He said: "An enormous amount has happened in Witney in the last 20 years, like the demise of the blanket industry and the new estates that have gone up around the town.

"It is a lot larger and there is more traffic which makes it not as pleasant to live in, but there are more facilities."

"It is very important that people understand how Witney grew.

"More than anything the anniversary is an excuse to have a great celebration of the town."