HERE’S a tip for anyone wanting to find their way to the tiny tucked-away Suffolk village of Upper Somerton – just follow the signs to Upper Somersham.

The ‘ton’ part of Somerton, near Sudbury, became a ‘sham’ when the sign manufacturer responsible for the authentic looking signpost confused his Suffolk villages.

When Suffolk County Council’s workmen put the signpost up on Monday they clearly didn’t notice the mistake, despite a village sign, with the correct spelling, positioned just 20 yards away.

But the mistake could not get past the village’s sharp-eyed parish chairman John McCallum.

He said: “I was walking past and noticed the sign and immediately emailed a picture to the council who have promised to sort it as soon as possible.”

However, the spelling problems do not end there. Just below the correctly spelt village sign motorists are asked to drive ‘slowy’ through the village, rather than the usual drive slowly.

Richard Kemp, Independent county councillor for Melford , said: “Perhaps we need a few fundamental lessons in our county on our geography and some help with the spelling of the English langauage.” A spokesman from the county council said: “The manufacturer said it was a genuine mistake on their behalf.

“They have agreed to take replace it with absolutely no cost to the council or the tax payer.

“As for the missing L in slowly, this was put up 12 years ago and we have offered to change it on numerous occasions but the villagers have always said they like it, want to keep it and find it quite quirky.”