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JUST two words could change people's perception of Spelthorne, according to business leaders in the borough.

Spelthorne Business Forum is hoping to get 'on Thames' or 'upon Thames' added to the town name of Staines in order to improve its image, especially in the run up to the 2012 London Olympics.

Alex Tribick, chairman of the forum, said: “There are 15 miles of the river running through the borough and it is a world iconic image, but we found that it is woefully underused in our borough.

“We will be in a very central location for the Olympics and are a transport hub with the train, airport and road links.

"It seemed very obvious to us that we should draw businesses and tourists to the area using the River Thames.

"Not one person we spoke to said they wanted it to remain as Staines.”

Those involved in campaigning for the name change are desperate to rid the town of its association with comedy character Ali G, and they pointed out that the majority of other places by the river included Thames in their names.

According to the business forum, estate agents have predicted that commercial and residential property prices could go up with a name change.

The decision will be made by Spelthorne Borough Council at a cabinet meeting on Monday, November 1.

Councillor Colin Davis, cabinet member for economic development, said: “We don't just want to survive the recession, we want to thrive through it. But to do that we need to change the association with the name Staines.”

The business forum is hoping companies will sponsor new town signs, meaning a name change should not cost taxpayers anything.