The British government saved "Oliver Twist's workhouse"

London - The British government has saved a former London workhouse from demolition, which is believed to have inspired Charles Dickens' famous novel Oliver Twist. It has been added to the list of protected sites that cannot be demolished, and any modifications must take into account its "special architectural and historical interest."
    John Penrose, who is responsible for cultural heritage at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, told the AP agency that the austere building in the Georgian style is a "powerful reminder of one of the grimmer aspects of London's social history in the 18th century."
    The building was set to be demolished and replaced with a new apartment complex, but local residents and the academic community rebelled and launched a campaign for its preservation.
    Dickens (1812-1870) lived in close proximity during his youth, and literary historians believe that it served as a model for the workhouse in the novel Oliver Twist. The book, published in 1838, helped to mobilize public opinion against the harsh conditions that prevailed in such institutions.