TWO major British figures, whose places in history are inextricably linked to Worces-tershire, have been named in a list of 12 great Britons responsible for creating institutions that shaped the country.

Simon de Montfort, who died at the Battle of Evesham in 1265 and is buried in the nearby abbey, and Oliver Crom-well, whose victory at the Battle of Worcester in 1651 saw the end to the English Civil War, are included in the line-up compiled by Conser-vatives and eminent historians. The ranking is as a result of a Tory party review of history teaching in schools and aims to look at ways of emphasising narrative history, which children find more interesting.

Shadow Education Secretary David Willetts said the chro-nological list, which begins with Saint Columbia and finishes with Aneurin Bevan, was not definitive nor exhaustive. "The loss of national memory means a loss of national identity. Britain needs to be one country - and this means that all British people must share a knowledge and understanding of the events which have made us what we are as a people," said Mr Willetts.

Simon de Montfort, sixth Earl of Leicester, played a huge part in the establishment of democratic government in Britain.

He was the principal leader of the barons who in 1258 forced King Henry III to accept the Provisions of Oxford, which established the principle of government by council rather than royal whim.

But three years later King Henry repudiated the Prov-isions and in 1263 de Montfort was at the centre of a rebellion with the aim of restoring government. He became the de facto ruler of England.

The Parliament of 1265 was known as De Montfort's Parliament but many barons felt his reforms were going too far and turned against him. King Henry's son Prince Edward led de Montfort and his forces into a trap at the bloody Battle of Evesham where, it is said, the ground ran red.

De Montfort was killed and his remains buried at the nearby abbey.

He is remembered today for calling the first directly elected parliament and is considered one of the fathers of modern democracy.

Oliver Cromwell was a soldier and statesman who helped establish a republic in England known as the Commonwealth of England. He was known as a moralist and man of the people standing up against royal and aristocratic oppression.

The final battle of the English Civil War was fought at Worcester in 1651 when Cromwell and the Parliamen-tarians defeated the Royalists forces of King Charles II.

12 GREAT BRITONS The Tory 12 are: Saint Columba (521-97) Missionary; Alfred the Great (849-99) King; Henry II (133-89) King; Simon de Montfort; James IV of Scotland (1488-1513) King; Thomas Gresham (1519-79) Financier; Oliver Cromwell; Isaac Newton (1643-1727) Scientist; Robert Clive (1725-74) Soldier who established supremacy of East India Company; Sir Robert Peel (1778-1850) Politician and founder of the Metropolitan Police; Millicent Fawcett (1847-1929) Peaceful women's rights campaigner; Aneurin Bevan (1897-1960) Politician and founder of the NHS.