METHINKS that it’s time for the Echo, and others, to realise the town of Bournemouth, for all its wishful thinking, does not qualify for “‘city” status.

Twice in recent editions a description of Bournemouth as “the city” slipped into stories. Obviously this confusion needs clearing up for everyone’s benefit, so here goes.

Bournemouth is part of the three-town council consortium along with Christchurch and Poole (BCP) and certainly does not meet the commonly held criteria of either having a cathedral or a large enough population.

In fact, a case could be made on one of the grounds that Christchurch sits further up the local pecking order because the sheer size and beauty of the Priory far exceeds anything that Bournemouth has to offer.

ROSS TAYLOR

Dark Street Lane, Plympton, Devon