OLD soldier Derek Julian is fighting for the honour of the Dorset Regiment after what he claims is a massive insult cast by Dorchester Town Council.

Mr Julian said he was incensed by the town council's planning committee decision to reject names of battles and heroes associated with the regiment for new roads at Poundbury.

He said four names had the full support of the Prince of Wales for his model development.

Mr Julian, who fought in Korea with the Dorsets - now amalgamated into the new West Country regiment The Rifles - said he was furious with the decision.

He said: "This is an insult to the memory of those soldiers who fought and died. It's a disgrace to the county.

"I bet those people who took this decision have never fought in a campaign.

"I'm not going to let this rest. I'm going to write to all the other authorities in the county and ask them to name roads after the regiment and I'll tell them it's because the county town won't do it."

He said only three former members of the Dorset Regiment who fought in the Second World War are still alive - and that the rejection was an insult to them as well.

He said names forwarded to the town council for consideration included Kohima, the Second World War battle that saw the Dorsets in the forefront to get the Japanese out of India. The regiment was awarded battle honours for its part in this action.

Other names included Peninsular, again from a campaign, Vickery, after a soldier who was awarded the VC, and Sarah Sands, the name of a ship where Dorset soldiers showed valour in tackling a devastating fire and the regiment was awarded honours by Queen Victoria.

Mr Julian said he had a letter from Simon Conibear, Poundbury development manager for the Duchy of Cornwall, stating the prince's support for the four names for Poundbury.

In the letter Mr Conibear stated: "HRH has asked me to inquire what the regiment's motto was and whether the regiment had a nick-name in the Army."

Mr Julian, 72, said: "That tells you that Prince Charles would have wanted more names as well as those four."

Mr Conibear had also written to the council suggesting the names and included four more for consideration - all Dorset soldiers who were awarded the Victoria Cross - Kellaway, O'Sullivan, Queripel and Warr.

But the planning and environment committee rejected all the regimental names because they did not fit in with the existing theme of Duchy of Cornwall farm names for most of the development's roads.

He said: "Tell that to the young soldiers whose bones still lie out at Kohima. I'm incensed about it."

He added: "I think the people responsible for this are snobs who don't know what it's like to be in a campaign. It looks like snobbery to me."