LONDON — The British government has gotten its Newcastles confused. It sent millions of dollars in funds meant for the bustling northern city of Newcastle-upon-Tyne to the small market town of Newcastle- under-Lyme.
Some $5.3 million was sent to the wrong Newcastle, the Department for Communities and Local Government said Wednesday. The money was being distributed under a program intended to promote local enterprise, and the mistake has been made two years in a row, the department said.
“This is a regrettable error, and we’ve taken action to rectify it,” the department said.
That may not be so easy. Newcastle-under-Lyme is refusing to give the money back.
“We assumed it was in recognition of the work we’ve done to encourage business,” the The Daily Telegraph quoted borough council leader Simon Tagg as saying. “We can’t hand over two million pounds just like that.”
