TWO former Olympians have backed a campaign for Marlow's High Street post box to be painted gold to recognise the town's historic contribution.

Professor Greg Whyte, an ex Olympic modern pentathlete and cyclist Willie Moore, a former bronze medallist at the 1972 Munich games, are supporting the claims for the colour change.

Royal Mail is painting post boxes gold in the towns of British London 2012 winners.

Campaigners say that Marlow, where five times gold medal winner Sir Steve Redgrave was born and still lives, deserves one as much as any.

But the Olympic great himself played down the calls this week.

Prof Whyte, from Marlow Bottom, who trained David Walliams to swim the River Thames, said: "It just strikes me that Marlow is the home of rowing.

"The bottom line is I think what we should do is recognise in some way the contribution of Marlow to the performance of British rowing and multiple sports over the decades."

Residents were angry that Marlow was snubbed by Olympic chiefs when it came to the Olympic torch route.

Post box campaigners say it could make up for this disappointment.

But Prof Whyte said: "I don't think this is a substitute."

Mr Moore, 65, who works at Saddle Safari in Crown Lane, said: "One of the things that people have talked about is expressing a doubt that the Olympic spirit will last, painting the post box gold would encourage that feeling to be prolonged."

Marlow rower Katharine Grainger decided the post box in her home town of Aberdeen should be painted gold.

Mr Moore said: "What's wrong with having two?"

The petition has over 300 names now.

Sir Steve Redgrave was reluctant to get sucked into the campaign, which has focused on his achievements, saying: "I don't have any views on that really. It's a nice touch from the Royal Mail for the successful athletes this time but it's up the athletes where they choose to have their postbox."

Asked about lingering anger about the Olympic torch route, he said: "Everything gets thrown into the same pot but the reality is the post box scheme is a different organisation completely, The torch could easily have been diverted to come down the Henley Road (from Henley) but unfortunately that was overlooked."