Council workmen painting road markings failed to notice that school had been knocked down

Council workmen in Liverpool painted road markings warning not to block the entrance to a school after failing to notice it had been knocked down more than a year ago.



The highways staff put down the yellow markings outside the site of the former Gateacre school, which was shut to pupils two years ago before being knocked down.

The council admitted its staff had made a mistake and said it was now checking that the gaffe had not been repeated outside other sites where schools had been knocked down as part of the Building Schools for the Future programme.



Local residents and councillors said they were amazed the workmen had not applied some common sense when doing their job, which involved repainting tired old markings outside the school gates. A council source said the school gaffe was a “hands up” situation, adding: “They just followed their instructions without thinking about it.”