From Muriel to Leirum: tenants get their street's name flipped back-to-front

Residents were astonished when they woke up and found new signs with their street name spelt backwards.

Families living in Muriel Street in Barnsbury discovered they were, from now on, living in Leirum Street.

The name change aimed to reduce the confusion of emergency services and visitors unaware that the street is divided into three separate roads.

But many of the residents said they were not consulted about the switch and branded it “ridiculous”.

Two signs have so far gone up on the estate with the name “Leirum Street”.

Kath Wardely, who has lived in the street for 16 years, said: “It is ridiculous and it looks like a big balls-up. I think they got the stencil the wrong way round and now they are trying to cover it up.

“It is giving me the giggles just thinking about it.”

Her husband Ray said: “I have lived around here for more than 60 years and it has always been Muriel Street.”

Postman Denis Field, 62, said: “It looks like a mistake to me. I can understand someone might want to change the road name, but just to reverse it? It’s unbelievable.”

The Barnsbury Estate’s Tenant Management Organisation said it had requested the name change to make it less confusing for emergency services and visitors.

Monika Baker, 62, said: “The main story here is that the emergency services did not know where to go. The name change and the choice was not random. It was a thought through and the organisation put out some form of consultation. Whether 100 per cent of the residents got a chance to respond I have no idea.

“The name wasn’t picked out of a hat like a rabbit – there was a process.”

Officials at Islington council also said the new name on the Barnsbury Estate in Barnsbury was not a mistake and confirmed that the tenants’ association had requested the spelling switch.