A SCHOOLBOY fears spelling is on the road to ruin after a street sign blunder.

Adam Gant, 11, spotted the embarrassing mistake in large letters as he walked to school with his mum Sue and little brother Matthew.

The sign, on Lord Lane, Failsworth, Oldham, was intended to warn motorists of a bus stop. Instead, it read 'bus stor'.

Adam, of Gail Close, Failsworth, said: "I imagine the person who misspelt 'stop' would be really embarrassed.

"What did they think they were marking? I'm not sure if it's a case of people not being able to spell these days or that they just can't be bothered. Either way, it's a pretty poor effort at spelling something simple."

Sue, 49, said: "It's caused quite a stir. We must be the only place in the country with a 'Bus Stor'. What's really weird is that the same people spelt it right further up the road." But while seeing the funny side, Sue, who walks Matthew to St Mary's RC Primary School each morning, said there could be serious repercussions.

She said: "Every day hundreds of kids walk up and down Lord Lane on their way to their schools. What kind of example does this set to them?

"Not only that, they've just finished spending a lot of money on road markings all over Failsworth and now they'll have to do that bit again. It's a waste of money."

Coun Mark Alcock, environment spokesman for Oldham Council, said the correction would be free.

He said: "The work was carried out as a result of a request from a member of the public to renew road markings in the area and was carried out by a contractor.

"The cost of renewing the words is £30, with the cost of an actual letter being £4.

"This was a highly-visible error which the contractor has apologised for and will be coming back and rectifying at no cost to the council."