MEMBERS of a popular Facebook group on Black Country history have been left in disbelief after receiving warnings about content from the social media giant when talking about the traditional local dish faggots and peas.

“This is the most ludicrous, idiotic thing I think I have ever read,” one member of the history group Pensnett. Brierley Hill and Blackcountry Now and Then which has nearly 14,000 members.

Halesowen News: The Pensnett. Brierley Hill and Blackcountry Now and Then group on Facebook which has nearly 14,000 members The Pensnett. Brierley Hill and Blackcountry Now and Then group on Facebook which has nearly 14,000 members

Admin Linda Beech has built the group up over the last five years and it has become a popular space to share old photographs of the area and to reminisce about the Black Country’s heritage and unique words and phrases.

But she has had to issue a warning to all members not to use the offending word ‘faggots’ as they risk being banned and the admins also risk being removed for violating Facebook’s community standards...as the term is often used in a derogative way about gay people in the US.

She said: “We are in danger of losing the group.”

Halesowen News: The warning sent to the group. Pic from FacebookThe warning sent to the group. Pic from Facebook

Garry Sawers, known as Black Country Gaz, said he has posted a song about 'faggots an paeys' on his page in protest and he added: “It makes my blood boil cos it could be Black Country next.”

Another poster said: “I'm a Londoner born and bred and even I know what they [faggots] are. I love the Brains ones. The word also means a type of fuel for the fire.”

Another horrified faggots and peas fan said: "Facebook has obviously decided it means something other than a rather tasty meat based product that's synonymous with the Black Country."

Halesowen News: Faggots and peas are a Black Country favourite. Image - Marie Wurm/ Getty ImagesFaggots and peas are a Black Country favourite. Image - Marie Wurm/ Getty Images

Meanwhile, community campaigner Adam Davies says he has written to Facebook to call for human intervention to help save the group and explain a little more about the Black Country delicacy and the region's language.

He believes the deletion of posts and threats of removing members and admins were likely just made by a bot but he said: ‘Is this a sign of things to come? "It’s a perfectly normal, innocent word but clearly some Silicon Valley analyst doesn’t understand this well-known Black Country dish.

“And we appreciate that it would be impossible for them to know all the regional quirks and names of food dishes in the Black Country – but this is precisely the problem.

"Without a real human looking into the context in which words are spoken, the ability to be who we are as individuals and as regions is under threat from a blanket system that is damaging and just can’t work.

“The English language – particularly as it is spoken in the Black Country – is far too individual, localised and unique to be censored by a robot or judged without context.”