A historic pub has changed its name after more than 200 years 'because of the Black Lives Matter movement'.
The Black Boy Inn, in Bewdley, Worcestershire, is now called The Bewdley Inn.
The current leaseholders said Stonegate Pubs, the brewery which owns the 15th Century tavern, ordered them to change the name 'because of the Black Lives Matter movement' and that they had 'no say in it'.
Furious locals have blasted the move, accusing the company of 'giving into woke'.
However, the owners said the pub was renamed as part of a company rebrand and disagreed with accusations it was to do with race.
The Black Boy Inn, in Bewdley, Worcestershire, has been renamed The Bewdley Inn. The current leaseholders said the rename was 'because of the Black Lives Matter movement' but the pub's owners disputed this, saying it was part of a company rebrand
Historians believe King Charles II was referred to as the 'black boy' because it was a nickname given to him by his mother due to his dark hair and complexion.
The building dates back nearly 600 years and has been known as The Black Boy Inn since the early 19th Century. Before that it was known as The Blackamoors Head.
Locals were critical of the decision to rename the pub, saying the term 'Black Boy' is not racist.
The current leaseholders of the pub said they had 'no choice' but to change the name.
They said: 'The brewery wanted it changed, because of Black Lives Matter we think - we had no say in it.'
However, Stonegate Group, which is now the UK's largest pub company running 4,708 venues across the UK, denied this.
A spokesman for the group, which was
