‘X’ doesn’t mark the spot as highways clerk sends contractors to the wrong place.
Derby council-tax payers have unwittingly stumped up for a road outside of the city border to be resurfaced after a highways clerk marked-up the contractors’ map upside down by mistake. Following their instructions to the letter, contractors resurfaced a kilometre of Wragley Way in South Derbyshire, as detailed on their plans, not realising that it was outside of the city limits. They were sent back a week later to do the work that the city council had actually intended them to do.
Jim Connelly, spokesman for the city council's highways department, said: "It was a genuine error. I think the clerk was certainly a bit red-faced."
Mr Connelly estimated that Derbyshire county council, which is responsible for highways outside of the city, had effectively got £1000 worth of work done at the expense of city residents.
