AN OVERWHELMING majority of people have voted against the proposed name change of Varteg to Y Farteg.

Of the 22 people who responded to an online consultation launched last month, 64 per cent said they “disagreed” with the idea.

The percentage of people for it was 32 per cent.

A mere five per cent said they agreed Farteg should be used, the Torfaen County Borough Council website said.

Torfaen councillor Richard Clark, the local authority cabinet member health, social care, wellbeing and equalities, said the idea would scrapped.

“The people have spoken and I have listened to them," he said. "The language commissioner has been told that we will not be accepting the name with an F and as far as Torfaen is concerned is will be staying as it is.”

Richie Rowlinson, landlord of The Crown Hotel in Varteg who previously called it a ‘stupid idea’, said: “The people have made their opinion quite clear.”

The consultation was re-launched after an initial proposal earlier this year.

It sparked widespread humour and concern at the time, and such was the stink that news outlets as far away as Canada and Minnesota in America picked up on it.

Nationals from The Daily Mail to the New York Daily News also jumped on the bandwagon.

Abersychan ward councillor Giles Davies presented a petition signed by around 120 Varteg residents to the full council Christmas meeting of Torfaen County Borough Council, to make clear their position had not changed on the proposal.

Speaking at the meeting he said: “While supportive of the Welsh language generally, in this particular case when you consider the many years the Welsh version of the name has not been used it is redundant locally.

“Residents feel introducing it would create unfortunate opportunities for immature ridicule.”

Locals previously said they fear becoming the butt of jokes if the change was approved, with many adamant that the ancient name Varteg accurately reflects the history of the locality.

Others said they did not feel the change would represent money well spent in times of biting austerity across the borough.