‘Sausage Street’ may change name

Animal rights group Peta had written demanding the street in Issigeac in the Dordogne be renamed Rue Soy-cisse, a reference to soya beans and a vegetarian sausage brand.

But mayor Jean-Claude Castagner said: “The name is relatively modern and came about because in this 15m-long alley, there used to live a slightly eccentric old lady, who looked like a sausage, being tall and round and having a stoop.

“She looked after her mother in often difficult circumstances and was a real character.

“She liked her nickname La Saucisse but I felt it’s demeaning and I want the street to reflect her real name, Suzanne Tessier.” She died in the 1960s. Peta has also called for Rue aux Fromages in Caen to be changed to Rue aux Faux Mages, and for Rue de la Boucherie in Limoges’s old quarter to become Rue de la Bouche qui crie.

Peta spokeswoman Anissa Putois said: “We send out many messages and videos showing the horrible treatment of animals used for meat or dairy production, and people do not like watching them.

“By mixing them with lighter items like this, we hope people will think about how we treat animals and act on it.”

To change the name of a street, a formal letter to the mairie will get the request on the council’s agenda. If the council agrees, the request is sent to the prefecture. Resi­dents then have to notify their contacts of their change of address.