Councils act to save apostrophes

The Sunday Telegraph reports that several Councils are issuing guidelines to staff emphasising the importance of correct grammar in street signs and letters to residents. Birmingham City Council caused dismay by announcing it was giving up any use of the punctuation mark on street signs - so much for civic pride. But other Councils are at least making an effort. Salford has issued the folliowing advice to officers:"Do not assume that if you don't know whether to use an apostrophe, then most of your readers won't either. Many of your readers will notice, and they will infer that you did not learn to write correctly. If a reader notices that you have used incorrect grammar, you will instantly lose credibility."

John Ever, of St Phillip's Avenue, in Worcester Park, Surrey, wrote to the paper to say:

"Here in Liberal Democrat-controlled Sutton the council tries to please everyone. Of the four road signs for our road, two are with an apostrophe and two are without."

What does Mr Ever expect of a Council where the Executive Member for Resources, Cllr John Drage, presides over the loss of £1 million from £5.5 million of risky Icelandic bank deposits and says that he was clueless they had even been placed? Then doesn't even apologise - let alone resign.