A MISTAKE which confused the similar sounding towns of Bromsgrove and Bromley in a 'name and shame' table of Britain's worst councils for hiking parking fees has provoked anger and embarrassment at the Council House in Burcot Lane.

The table was published last Thursday in The Times and Daily Telegraph newspapers from information supplied to them in a report by the national Liberal Democrats.

The table wrongly stated that income from parking fees in Bromsgrove for 1997-8 had been £352,000 which by 2004-5 had jumped to £8,710,000 a staggering rise of 2,374 per cent.

The correct figures are £428,000 and £954,000 respectively.

Reaction to the publication of the table was immediate. The council received many calls as did this newspaper - as well as letters on the subject.

Irate council leader Roger Hollingworth (Con-Alvechurch) contacted Bromsgrove's MP, Julie Kirkbride, urging her to intervene at the highest level to obtain an apology in a bid to clear up the misunderstanding.

On Monday Miss Kirkbride said she has written to Alistair Caarmichael MP, the Lib-Dems spokesman on transport demanding an apology for the upset and trouble that has been caused.

She said the Lib-Dems had compiled a report of the top ten authorities who had increased fees sharply since 1997

"Bromsgrove has been erroneously included because whoever looked at the figures produced by the Department of Transport read the figures for Bromley in Kent which came just above Bromsgrove," she said.

She added: "This was sloppy work by the Lib-Dem transport spokesman. Very often they deliberately distort the facts against others but this time I believe it was a genuine mistake.

As we went to press a Lib-Dem spokesman - in a statement - said; "This was caused by a typing error for which we apologise unreservedly. Bromsgrove should not have appeared anywhere near the top of the list of councils with rapid increases in their parking revenues."

Meanwhile the two newspapers concerned have promised to print corrections.