A county councillor gave officers an impromptu spelling lesson at the latest meeting of Hertfordshire County Council.

Liberal Democrat member Sara Bedford was commenting on county council proposals to purchase the Brookdell Goods Yard, next door to the Waterdale Recycling Centre.

But on the council order, the papers had spelt Abbots Langley with two 't's' - so 'Abbotts Langley'.

Cllr Bedford suggested that half the time on council papers she received, the name of the division was spelt wrongly.

She said: "Can I ask officers to please look at how the division Abbots Langley is spelt?

"Fifty per cent of the time this council spells it incorrectly. It is not very difficult, it is not very long.

"Even the documentation I am sent as a new county councillor or re-elected councillor has it spelt incorrectly on there. It does not fill you with confidence."

Watford Observer: A sign for the Waterdale Recycling Centre and waste transfer station A sign for the Waterdale Recycling Centre and waste transfer station

During the same debate about the purchase of the land – which will enable the expansion of the neighbouring A405 Waterdale waste transfer site – fellow Lib Dem member for Chorleywood South & Maple Cross, Cllr Phil Williams, also raised a question about geography.

He emphasised that the waste site, which is described as being near Watford, is actually in the Three Rivers district.

While supporting the proposal, he said: "I do have one concern though. . . and that is where is it? Because Waterdale that I know of is in Three Rivers – it’s not in Watford.

"So I hope we can get that straight and we are not doing somewhere else."

The debate was part of the meeting of the full county council held on Tuesday at the Gordon Craig Theatre, in Stevenage.

The county council is set to spend more than £4 million purchasing Brookdell Yard to expand the waste transfer station activity.

See more: Council on verge of £4.5m purchase of land next to Waterdale