A CORNER of Manhattan will be forever England if a group of British business people and Anglophiles get their way.

Virgin boss Sir Richard Branson, designer Sir Paul Smith and Mike Myers, the Canadian-born actor behind Austin Powers, will this week back a campaign to have a New York Street renamed “Little Britain”.

Nicky Perry, owner of Tea & Sympathy, a British café in Greenwich Village, is spearheading the campaign, which is also being backed by fashion company Ben Sherman and hair-product firm and salon Bumble and Bumble.

“In a city famous for diversity, where Little Italy and Chinatown are destinations, and almost every nationality has a ‘Little’ version of themselves, there should be a Little Britain, too,” said Perry.

She opened her café 17 years ago and has since served 30m cups of tea to Anglophiles and British expats. She also owns the fish-and-chip shop next door, A Salt & Battery. Tea & Sympathy is close to the New York stores of British designers Stella McCart-ney and Alexander McQueen, and Soho House, the Manhattan outpost of the London club.

Among other famous names backing the campaign are Mischa Barton, Sandra Bernhard, Billy Connolly and Joss Stone.

“I think it’s important for the city of New York to continue the tradition of designating certain areas of the city to celebrate various cultural traditions,” said Myers. “God Save the Queen.”

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