Staff at Bradford Council have been advised to go back to school by a resident who was shocked to read a major publication littered with spelling errors.

The document, a planning blueprint, was sent to 200,000 homes.

The Council's publication, Planning News, which features colour pictures and maps about the Unitary Development Plan (UDP), includes a panel asking the public for suggestions about how the Council can improve, where it performs well and where it performs badly.

Retired businessman Donald Campbell, of Apperley Bridge, said he had no hesitation in letting the Council know how it performs.

Mr Campbell said he had contacted the planning department to complain about the spelling mistakes and would get in touch with Chief Executive Ian Stewart.

"It looks very bad for the Council to send a publication like this, with bad spelling mistakes, to all homes in the district," said Mr Campbell.

"You don't even have to go very far to see mistakes. There is one in the first paragraph. At the very least it should have been checked through. I think the Council staff should go back to school."

The spelling mistakes included:

It's draft blueprint; busines's; exteneded; role back (instead of roll), and revitalization.

But the Council's executive member for the environment, Councillor Anne Hawkesworth, defended the staff and blamed the technology.

She said: "I don't know what happened to the spell check on the technology but I think it was mainly keying in mistakes.

"I wish Mr Campbell had read the publication and seen the good changes we had made in the plan." She said the document had not been costly to produce and distribute, and was meant to help people understand a very important issue.

The UDP will guide land use and development throughout the district over the next 15 years.

A consultation exercise when a draft plan was published last year prompted 10,000 representations including 7,000 objections. As a result of the public's response, and recent Government guidance on transport and flood risks, several hundred changes have been made.

People will be able to make representations about the changes and remaining issues will go to a public inquiry at Victoria Hall, Saltaire, to be heard by four Government inspectors. It will cost the Council more than £1 million.