SUFFOLK: Death metal frontman Dani Filth has declared his disappointment at being left off a short list of Suffolk icons, despite running away with a preliminary online poll.

The Cradle of Filth lead singer, who has lived in the county for most of his 37 years, won 13,025 votes in the Choose Suffolk icons poll, with Broomhill swimming pool in a distant second place with 2,055 votes.

But judges controversially left him off the list of finalists, saying they did not feel he could be considered an icon of Suffolk who could “encapsulate its sense of place and be recognisable across the county and beyond its borders.”

Filth, who recently returned home to Suffolk from a two-week tour of South America, couldn’t hide his disappointment at not being selected. He said: “I realise I’m not the best face for Suffolk but I do feel a bit snubbed.”

Cradle of Filth were formed in Suffolk in 1991 and became one of Britain’s biggest-selling and most successful British heavy metal bands.

A book, The Gospel of Filth, released last year, documented the band’s rise to fame and included reference to Suffolk’s landscape and folklore. “I was hoping to get the keys to the town,” joked Filth, “or maybe a statue in the town centre, adorned with sphinxes!”

It’s not the first time Filth has felt slighted by his home county. In September he claimed his band had been banned many years ago from playing at the Regent in Ipswich, although the venue denied this.

Filth, real name Daniel Davey, who has previously lived in Hadleigh and Woodbridge, said of the icons decision: “I suppose it’s understandable – Suffolk being quite a placid place. But I can’t say I don’t feel a smidgeon of disappointment.”

Tim Passmore, interim chief executive at Choose Suffolk, said that while judges recognised the personal popularity of Dani Filth, they did not feel he could be considered an icon of Suffolk.

“The idea of what constitutes an icon will always divide opinion and stimulate engaging debate,” he added.

“While some of the images on the site may have gained a larger proportion of visitors’ votes, the judging panel felt their list of finalists displays the required credentials to act as representative iconic images of Suffolk.”

n What do you think of the decision? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN, or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk.