TO varying degrees, villages across the district marked the dawn of the new millennium. Bradley put up a fine stone boundary sign, Thornton-in-Craven put up a seat, Skipton formalised a walk round the town taking in various points of interest.

Langcliffe had the idea of producing a mug for each child in the village and paid for it out of the parish council precept (the small sum a parish council can add to your council tax bill).

We've not seen any of the mugs, but doubtless they were much appreciated in the village and will be a collectors' item in years to come, or a memory of happy days in the village.

Imagine, then, how aghast the parish councillors must have been when their action was picked up and deemed technically illegal by the village auditor.

We're on the side of the parish council. Happily the matter will be left to lie but the councillors have no reason to apologise. Surely the village backs them in their generosity - and we wonder how many other parishes may have unwittingly fallen into the same trap.