Stalin is one of the most bloodthirsty dictators of all time. So why then is there a street in Medway named in his honour?

The memory of the brutal Soviet dictator lives on in Chatham despite the fact he was responsible for the deaths of up to 30 million people.

Stalin Avenue, in Wayfield, was built as part of a wider estate shortly after the Second World War, when the true extent of the Communist premier’s oppressive regime was mostly unknown.

In fact Uncle Joe, as American propagandists called him, was hailed as a hero for helping defeat Nazi Germany.

Across Europe, streets, squares and buildings were named in his honour. However with the start of the Cold War he quickly became a figure of hate.

As the world learnt the true extent of Stalin’s crimes against the people of the Soviet Empire a great rebranding exercise began.

His name was dropped from signs and plaques throughout the world – but not in Chatham.

And Medway Council has no plans for renaming the street any time soon.

A spokesman said: “We’ve never had a request from residents to change the name.

"If anybody wanted to change it, they would have to contact the council and generate a petition.

"It is a lengthy and expensive process and the taxpayer would have to foot the bill.”

The only problem is, nobody lives in Stalin Avenue. It may have been a touch of foresight by the post-war town planners to name a short uninhabited cut-through after the dictator, but without any residents to complain, the street name is unlikely to be changed.

Nearby residents could influence a name change but they appear to be nonplussed.

Sue Cooper, who lives in nearby Roosevelt Avenue, said: “What’s the point changing it?

"He was part of history and you can’t change history, that’s what he tried to do.”