Academy Award nominee Richard Todd has told The Standard how he is angered by American producers' decision to rename the dog which belonged to Wing Commander Guy Gibson VC, his character in the original film.

The men remaking the story of the Coningsby-based 617 squadron have decided that Nigger is not an appropriate name for a pet in the modern era, and the animal will be renamed Nidge.

"As far as I'm concerned it's rubbish," blasted Mr Todd, who now lives at little Humby, near Grantham.
"The dog was called Nigger and if you have the dog in the film it has to be called by his real name.

"And without the dog you don't have a film because he was the most important character."

The Dambusters was the nickname given to the RAF's 617 squadron, formed during World War II to carry out Operation Chastise, designed to destroy Germany's power supplies.
And the squadron, who were based at Coningsby and Woodhall Spa, were immortalised in a 1954 book and the 1955 movie.

Mr Todd - who received an Oscar nomination for Best Actor for his part in The Hasty Heart - blames political correctness for the dog being renamed Nidge, a nickname Gibson is alleged to have sometimes called his faithful friend.

"It wasn't being rude to black people. Nigger brown used to be a colour, it comes from the French word for black, which is negre.
"The word may not be used in the same way these days but it was the dog's name back then and that is a fact."

Mr Todd, 89, served in the parachute regiment during the Second World War and was among the first officers to land at Normandy beach during D-

Day.

Many of the cast were soldiers during the war and this, Mr Todd believes, adds to the film's realism.
"It's the reason the film's so good and so authentic," he continued.
"The parts were played by people who knew what it was like.
"The film was much loved because it struck a chord with the audience who were suffering the aftermath of war. Then over the years people began enjoying it as entertainment."

Mr Todd added: "You can't remake the Dam Busters. There is only one Dam Busters, which was a much loved and well remembered film.
"This remake idea is just to make money for people who already have a good idea in front of them."

The Dam Busters remake has been scripted by Stephen Fry and will be directed by Oscar winner Peter Jackson, the man who shot the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

In an interview, he said: "If you change it everyone's going to whinge and whine about political correctness.
"And if you don't change it, obviously, you are offending a lot of people inadvertently."
Just Jane, the Lancaster based at East Kirkby's Lincolnshire Aviation Centre, is also tipped to appear in the remake.

Do you agree with the name change? Email Duncan.browne@jpress.co.uk with your views.