Oakham man helps persuade ITV Central to add Rutland to weather map

A television company has agreed to represent England’s smallest county on its weather map thanks to a resident’s successful appeal.

Martin Ball, from Oakham, was unhappy that Rutland was the only county without a place name on the ITV Central weather map.

Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire and Derbyshire were all represented, while Lincolnshire had two place names sitting proudly on the map - Spalding and Lincoln.

Last September, Martin asked the regional broadcaster to put things right and even submitted a mocked-up map with Oakham added.

Having made assurances they would keep a ‘watching brief’ on the issue, the channel this week agreed to make Oakham a permanent addition to the map - and on Wednesday it made its bow.

Martin believes the change of heart may have happened thanks to other residents contacting the Midlands TV company after seeing his appeal in print last autumn, bringing about the change of heart.

Changing channel, a Spalding campaigner asked for the Lincolnshire town to be added to BBC Look North’s weather map. She had success when it appeared, albeit briefly.

Send your news to: news@lincsonline.co.uk