A plan to build a 128ft high gasholder in the centre of Abingdon caused outrage in the town 40 years ago.

Protests mounted after the Southern Gas Board announced its proposal in a letter to the borough council on September 28, 1966.

The letter came out of the blue - no-one had an inkling that such a plan was on the cards.

The board clearly intended to waste no time - it said the contract would be let by the end of October and work would start in November.

It said it did not need planning permission from the borough council because of the Oxford Gas Order of 1930.

But that didn't stop the council and thousands of people in the town attacking the idea.

The Oxford Mail also condemned the plans in its editorials.

One of them said: "The way the Southern Gas Board is setting about putting up a 128ft high gasholder in the centre of Abingdon is absolutely scandalous.

"Normally it would require permission to put up any structure more than 50ft high.

"That there should be this loophole in a town as beautiful as Abingdon is yet another example of the weaknesses of our town planning machinery."

Critics argued that even if there was no legal obligation on the board to seek permission, it should be prepared to talk to the borough council.

They said that however much tree screening and colouring was used to try to disguise the gasholder, it would "dominate the local scene and obtrude into important vistas of the town".

There were fears that if protests forced the Southern Gas Board to abandon the plan, it could demand compensation from Abingdon ratepayers to the tune of £75,000.

Thankfully, the proposal was eventually dropped and historic Abingdon was spared.