2 days ago
Council spelling howler sparks ridicule
A council has been criticised by residents after erecting a road sign with a spelling error.
The sign, just outside the Berkshire town of Newbury, said 'road liable to flodding' instead of 'flooding'.
The error was spotted by drivers along the Lambourn Road between the Woodspeen Restaurant and Snake Lane in Woodspeen, Berks.
Liberal Democrat-led West Berkshire council has since received a wave of criticism on social media.
Juliet Clarke wrote: 'Did our council tax pay for that sign?' while Sue Deacon said whoever made the sign 'doesn't know how to spell'.
Another resident, Gill Lucraft, asked if the word flodding meant 'abuse', to which fellow local Ian Rees said it was an 'abuse of the English language'.
The word 'flodding' is a slang term for cyberbullying and harassment where a person sends a large number of messages in a short period of time.
It is not the first time a spelling mistake in Newbury has sparked a backlash. A Christmas tree sign erected in 2023 read 'bought to you by Visit Newbury' instead of 'brought'.
The typo made waves in the town when a local posted it on Facebook with the caption: 'Spot the cock-up.'
Visit Newbury apologised for the mistake and had it changed immediately.
The council, which was gained by the Liberal Democrats from the Conservative Party in 2023, has been contacted for comment.
