Brown faces sting of Nettles and Dench

Still licking his wounds from the disastrous local election results last week, Gordon Brown must now face the wrath of two of Britain's best-loved thespians. Step forward national treasures Dame Judi Dench and John Nettles (pictured), both of whom are accusing the Prime Minister of destroying the character of "Shakespeare country" by supporting the creation of a new 'eco-town' near Stratford-upon-Avon.

Nettles, 64, best known for his portrayal of Sgt Jim Bergerac in the long-running detective series, has spoken out against the plans for a settlement of up to 20,000 people at Middle Quinton. Nettles claims it will turn the area into a "Milton Keynes II" and "suffocate" the home of Shakespeare.

He, in turn, runs the risk of being accused of being a Nimby (Not In My Back Yard) – he owns a house near the proposed new town. However, he dismisses the claim. "The Government likes to label people like me as Nimbys. It suits them to paint a picture of angry, narrow-minded locals brandishing pitchforks and motivated purely by self-interest. But the truth is rather more prosaic. We passionately believe in protecting England's heritage for succeeding generations. It's not Nimby-ism – it is realism."

Nettles has given his backing to the protest group BARD (Better, Accessible and Responsible Development). Dame Judi, another BARD supporter, said last month that the proposed eco-town - one of five being planned by the government for completion by 2016 - would have a devastating impact on Stratford, home of the RSC with whom she began her acting career in 1961.