Express & Star

Foley Road or Foley Street? Wednesbury or west London? Postal workers in a pickle over different names for street

Is it Foley Road or Foley Street? That's the question, and it is one that may have a few postmen scratching their heads.

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The puzzling signs are directly opposite each other on a narrow Wednesbury street - which is actually named Foley Street.

The signs have recently been replaced and it seems council workers failed to notice the difference between the wording on them.

And it's not just the names of the road that are wrong - the postcode on the incorrect sign, which reads W10 rather than WS10, puts the street in west London.

Conservative member Heather Nightingale next to the sign for Foley Road, postcode W10
Conservative member Heather Nightingale next to the sign for Foley Street, postcode WS10

The gaffe was spotted by Terry Allen, who lives on Walsall Road in Wednesbury.

He said: "They changed the sign a couple of weeks ago and I walked past it and thought 'this can't be right'. It is directly opposite one that says Foley Street.

"Apparently if you stand on the Wood Green Road or Walsall Street you are in Kensington or Chelsea and of the left you are in Wednesbury.

"I don't know how so many mistakes could have been made because someone must have ordered one and them someone else has accepted it when it has arrived.

"Then the sign guys would have taken down a Foley Street sign and replaced it with a Foley Road one."

Despite the comical nature of the error, Mr Allen believes the mix up could cause problems.

He said: "If you're coming from junction nine (of the M6) towards Wednesbury you're going to see Foley Road, and if you're looking for Foley Street you are going to think it must be close."

Heather Knightingale, who stood as a Tory candidate for the Wednesbury North ward this year, said she was amazed by the error.

She said: "It is another waste of taxpayers' money, they are going to have to do it again.

"It's a shame nobody thought to check it before they put it in, especially as it was directly opposite the other one."

No one was available from Sandwell Council for comment.

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