Closed school road marking error branded 'a farce'

The school moved to another location just over nine years ago in October 2016

A council has apologised after yellow zigzags and warnings were repainted on the road outside a school which closed nine years ago.

Kent County Council (KCC), which is run by Reform UK, admitted it was an "error" to repaint the markings - which included a "School Keep Clear" warning - outside the former site of Halfway Houses Primary School in Sheerness.

This site, bought by Homes England earlier this year, has been earmarked for 60 new homes by Swale Borough Council (SBC).

Mike Whiting, an independent councillor for SBC, has described the road repainting as "a farce" and urged KCC's departments to "talk to each other more".

He wrote on Facebook: "How many times are we told there's not enough money for really important projects, yet they waste money like this, painting irrelevant signs, both sides of the road."

Peter Osborne, cabinet member for highways and transport for KCC, said the authority delivered an annual programme of signs and lines replacement costing £1m a year.

"The cost of painting these lines was £350 from this budget," he added.

He said such mistakes were "exceedingly rare".

Reform UK won 57 of the council's 81 seats to take control of the authority in local elections in May, overturning 30 years of Conservative Party dominance.