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Tuesday, 11 December 2007, 21:27 GMT

'Wrong country' sat-nav blunder

Sat-nav unit Shoppers on a Christmas trip to France were taken to the wrong country after a satellite navigation blunder diverted their coach seven hours off course.

Instead of arriving in Lille, France, 50 members of Cheltenham and Gloucester (C&G) Social Club were taken 98 miles (157km) away to Lille, Belgium.

When they finally arrived, they had two hours to shop before the stores closed.

The detour happened during a weekend coach trip from Gloucester to Ostend, Belgium, costing staff £150.

Tim Knight, manager of Travelscope, the company which arranged the trip, said: "Part of the weekend trip was an afternoon shopping in Lille.

"Unfortunately the driver from the coach company we commissioned made a blunder on his satellite navigation."

On the trip back to their hotel, the coach driver unplugged the navigation system and, with the help of a passenger and an atlas, made it back to Ostend.

C&G spokeswoman Melinda Russell, said: "We're very sorry that our staff and their families have been let down, especially as we have enjoyed so many successful trips through the course of the year.

"Unfortunately, even the best laid plans can go awry, especially when relying on sat-nav."



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Related to this story:
Village crashes blamed on sat nav (11 Nov 07 |  South West Wales )
Village plea over sat-nav routing (03 Sep 07 |  Somerset )
Galileo challenges sat-nav firms (17 Jul 07 |  Science/Nature )

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