Can you tell why this hoodie is annoying people who live in town with a Milton Keynes postcode?

A simple hoodie made by a firm in America is causing some cross feelings in the town of Newport Pagnell.

The hoodie is manufactured by worldwide online print store Citytownshop, but bosses have obviously not done their research into the nuances of the Milton Keynes boundaries thousands of miles away.

It has a picture of a local map and the wording proudly states: ‘Newport Pagnell, Milton Keynes. It’s where my story starts.’

But for Newportonians who remember the ‘new city’ being announced more than 50 years ago, it’s like a red rag to a bull! For they insist they are NOT part of Milton Keynes and their correct address is ‘Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire’.

When the official designated area of Milton Keynes was drawn up in 1967, Newport Pagnell, already famed for its connection with Aston Martin, former parchment works and old Taylor’s mustard factory, was excluded.

Though the historic old town had an MK postcode, it didn’t officially met with modern new city until the M1 motorway boundary.

Wikipedia states: “Although Newport Pagnell was excluded from the 1967 designated area of Milton Keynes, its growth has been at a similar level to that of the constituent towns of the latter; the two now join at the M1 and there are no other practical distinctions between them.”

However, in 2001 the Office for National Statistics records Newport Pagnell as part of the Milton Keynes Urban Area. Its parliamentary constituency is known as MK North.

But Newportonians have stuck to their guns and even MK City Council describes the place as “an historic town which lies just outside city boundary, at the gateway to the rural part.”

This week one former Newport resident displayed his newly-purchased hoodie ($40.95) on the ‘I Grew up in Newport Pagnell’ Facebook page. It immediately prompted a flow of cross comments.

"Newport Pagnell is in Buckinghamshire, unfortunately it just has a MK postcode. We are not within the MK boundary, which is the motorway - never was nor never will be, whatever they try to inflict on our wonderful town,” posted one resident.

Today (Monday) the Citizen contacted Citytownshop to point out the mistake and ask if it could be corrected.

We are awaiting a reply.