A SERIES of speed humps installed by Bolton Council have had to be dug up and replaced days later because they did not meet the authority's own specifications.

The humps on Whitecroft Road, Old Kiln Lane and Markland Hill, in Heaton, had been built to prevent the roads being used by lorries as a rat run between Chorley Old Road and Moss Bank Way. But they were discovered to be the wrong shape - and could have damaged vehicles.

Highways chiefs insist the mistake will not cost council taxpayers any extra. But a councillor said the mistake was "remarkably incompetent". The work is part of a town-wide increase in traffic calming measures which will make Bolton one of the first places in Britain to reduce speeds in residential areas to 20 mph.

But it hit a snag when highways department inspectors found that contractors from the commercial services department had not carried out the work to the correct specification. The 'profile' of the humps was found to be wrong, so they were dug up and replaced.

John Evans, the council's head of engineering, said its commercial services department had won the tender to create the humps and said the cost of mistakes from time to time was factored into such estimates.

He said: "The rates they submiy for work cover the occasional hiccup such as this one. That was accounted for when the scheme was costed. It's still come in within the overall budget and the problem has now been rectified."

Deane-cum-Heaton councillor John Hanscomb said the matter should be questioned further.

He said: "I think it is remarkably incompetent of the commercial services department not to be able to carry out work to the council's own specifications.

"I would be interested to know what percentage increase the council allows to cover mistakes."