Barnham, in Suffolk, has been urged to cash in on neighbouring Thetford's links to Thomas Paine and Dad's Army in a bid to see off proposals for a military base on its outskirts.

The advice arrived on Tuesday when leaders visited Piddington, the Oxfordshire village which gained global attention by voting to leave the UK over similar proposals to turn a nearby military base into asylum accommodation. 

Barnham Parish Council has been told to try and capture the attention of Donald Trump in its campaign against the Home Office plans (Image: Jose Luis Magana)

The headline-making community advised Barnham that its cultural ties were “golden nuggets” that could help it receive similar international coverage. 

The Suffolk village, which has a population of around 600, is preparing new strategies to fend off Home Office plans to house 1,250 male migrants at RAF Barnham for a minimum of 10 years.

Villagers are now hoping that if they can attract the attention of the US president, it will help heap pressure on the UK government to back down.

John Bauer, the leader of Barnham Parish Council (Image: Henry Durand)

John Bauer, the leader of the parish council, said: “Thomas Paine was a revolutionary back in the 1700s, well here we are near Thetford in 2026 and this could be the start of our revolution.”

Barnham Parish Council is also set to discuss whether it will follow suit and hold its own symbolic referendum in the coming weeks. 

The two Domesday Book villages have now formed a “partnership” in the hope that Barnham can become the “other thorn in the government’s side” and follow Piddington's more provocative tactics.

Piddington declared independence from the UK after a symbolic referendum last week (Image: Henry Durand)

Until this point the two villages have taken dramatically different........

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