BARNET council is overlooking the rules of English grammar for the sake of not wasting taxpayers’ money after a series of erroneous posters appeared throughout the borough.

All 189 posters, which are displayed in bus stops and other obvious locations around Barnet, carry an unneccessary apostrophe and the grammatically incorrect slogan: "Our school’s are amongst the top performing in the country."

But Barnet Council ruled out replacing the posters, adding it would cost more than £1,000 of taxpayers' money to correct the mistake.

The council, which was unaware of the error until told by the Times Series, said the posters were approved by both its communications and children’s services departments.

Councillor Andrew Harper, deputy leader and cabinet member for education, children and families, said: "This is obviously embarrassing. I thoroughly dislike misplaced apostrophes myself, but I'm not going to sanction spending £1,700 of taxpayers' money on replacing the posters in this current financial climate.”

The council will take the posters down on Tuesday, November 23 as originally planned.

Eagle-eyed reader Carrie Dunn, who spotted the error on a poster in Cricklewood Lane, said: "That is certainly not the way to promote schools – it’s shocking.

"Parents are sure to be thinking: "Is that the kind of English my children are going to be taught?"