A Cornish council has been left in an awkward position after being gifted a sundial with their town's name spelt wrong.
The black stone sundial, created by the Moonta Lions Club in South Australia for the residents of Camborne, proudly displays "Cambourne" with an extra U - the spelling of a village in Cambridgeshire 319 miles away.
Unfortunately, the mistakes on the well-intentioned gift don't stop there, as the geographical coordinates etched into the sundial also point to the Cambridgeshire village rather than the Cornish town.
The error only came to light when photos of the completed sundial reached Camborne Town Council, leaving officials unsure how to respond to their Australian friends' generous but flawed gesture.
TRENDING
Stories
Videos
Your Say
The Australian club had spent four years raising money for the sundial, which was meant to honour the deep connections between Moonta and Camborne.
Known as "Little Cornwall" and part of Australia's Copper Coast, Moonta became home to hundreds of Cornish miners who emigrated there during the 19th century.
The town, with its population of just over 4,600, maintains strong ties to its Cornish heritage.
Mayor James Ball acknowledged the significance of these global connections, saying: "They are so passionate about knowing where their roots came from, so it makes you proud when you see these things, and we get regular updates from them as well."
A well-meaning gift from Australia has left Camborne councillors in an awkward position after a new sundial arrived with their town's name spelt wrong
|When the photos arrived at a recent council meeting, Mayor Ball spotted the spelling mistake immediately.
"Those of you with an eagle eye will have noticed they've spelled Camborne wrong, which is unfortunate because the Cambourne they've put on there is in Cambridgeshire," he told fellow councillors.
The mayor suggested writing to the Australian club to point out there's no U in Camborne, but questioned whether they should request a replacement.
"Do we go as far as asking for it to be replaced? Obviously, that's going to be quite a cost for them," he said.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
The sundial was the result of four years of fundraising in order to recognise the town's Cornish roots
|"But I think it should be pointed out."
Councillor Zoe Fox noticed another irony after realising the Australian club had spelt Camborne correctly twice in their emails to the council.
"So, it's very unfortunate, but I personally wouldn't bother drawing attention to it because it is there now, and I think that it's just very sad, and I think what's required is closer links and better communication," she said.
Moonta is a town on the coast of South Australia
|GOOGLE MAPS
Councillor John Cosgrove agreed it would be harsh to complain about the spelling after such a generous gesture.
"I think we write and say thank you," he suggested.
The council ultimately voted to thank the Australian club without requesting a replacement, acknowledging that fixing the mistake would require another lengthy fundraising campaign.
Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter
More From GB News