English Heritage accused of rewriting history

A playwright has pulled out of a project to dramatise a castle's history claiming the quango that commissioned it wanted to censor references to Jews and Nazis in the Second World War for fear of "offending" the audience.

Rod Tinson hit out at English Heritage for trying to create a "Disneyfied" version of history by insisting on changes to his play, due to be performed at a castle which formed part of Britain's wartime coastal defence network against German invasion.

The play was to be performed as part of "ghost tours" at Pendennis Castle in Falmouth, Cornwall, with scenes from periods in its history, including the Second World War. The drama included a young Polish Jew voicing fears about his relatives in occupied Europe.

But Mr Tinson said he was asked to tone down parts about the war as it would "offend" visitors. He refused and pulled the plug on the play.

In a statement, Charlie Fear, events manager at Pendennis Castle, said: "We were unable to agree on the right approach. The tours will still go ahead but the script is by a different writer."