IT is fair to say Worcester City Council’s efforts to raise much-needed additional funds by selling sponsorship of traffic islands have not been its finest hour.

Regular readers will remember that back in 2008 the council linked up with specialist firm Immediate Solutions in a deal that aimed to raise £60,000 by encouraging local companies to sponsor roundabouts and other public spaces.

By the start of this year less than half that amount had been raised.

Then the scheme had to be halted when the council discovered some sponsorship signs had been put up without planning permission.

Now we hear of one firm that paid £3,500 to sponsor a roundabout but has now demanded its money back because its sign has not been erected four months after it handed over the cash.

And the council is considering taking enforcement action against itself because some signs are bigger than planning rules allow.

You really could not make it up.

We have said before that we do not object to the sponsorship proposals in principle because we accept the council has to maximise its income, particularly in these times of crisis for public sector funding.

But this entire project seems to have lurched from one foul-up to another.

Maybe it is time for the council to admit defeat and move on to other revenue-raising ideas.