Drivers warned about ‘belching’ ahead after council spelling error
Drivers have been warned of “belching” after a council in Wales spelt Welsh street signs wrong.
A bilingual sign on the high street of Caerleon, in Newport, warns motorists in English of a “cycle route crossing”.
But those reading it in Welsh are instead alerted to the existence of a “belching path crossing”.
The “embarrassing” blunder has been caused by just one incorrect letter, which alters the meaning from “cycling” (beicio) to “belching” (belcio).
A second sign, secured to a gate in Lodge Park in the town, tells visitors in English: “No dogs, except assistance dogs.”
But in the Welsh translation, it reads as “Dim cwm ac eithro cwm cymorth”, meaning “No valley except assistance valley”.
Again a single letter caused the issue, with “m” included instead of “n”, meaning the word “dogs” reads in Welsh as “valley”.
‘Embarrassing error for Welsh Labour’
Peredur Owen Griffiths, Plaid Cymru MS for South Wales, said the gaffes “undermine” efforts to promote the use of the Welsh language.
“This is an embarrassing error for the Welsh Labour administration at Newport council,” he said.
“How these mistakes got past the proofreaders – if there were any to begin with – is a mystery.
“If Labour are serious about boosting the number of Welsh speakers, then they need to set a better example to the residents they serve in the county borough.
“Basic errors like this undermine their strategy to encourage the growth of Welsh speaking in the local authority area.”
A Newport City Council spokesman said: “We’re aware of the errors on those signs and are looking to get them replaced as soon as possible.”