Council computer system has erection problem

In the often dull language of planning applications, the word "erection" does not exactly have Benny Hill connotations.

But that is not the way Rochdale borough council's computer system saw it and two e-mails from Ray Kennedy, a lawyer, of Middleton, near Manchester, opposing his neighbour's house extension - and containing the word "erection" - were banned as being sexually offensive.

When the lawyer sent a third e-mail, a planning officer told him that his neighbour's proposals had been given the go-ahead.

Last night the council said it could not understand why two e-mails containing the word "erection" could be banned while another could get through the system.