IT was meant to be a scathing put-down to a political opponent.

But Education Secretary Charles Clarke was the one who ended up with egg on his face when he described the spa town of Harrogate, North Yorkshire, as having a beach.

The gaffe came during an exchange in the House of Commons yesterday when Liberal Democrat Phil Willis taunted his counterpart over teacher job losses.

Mr Willis, MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, said: "While you lounge on the beaches in Europe this summer, perhaps you will be reminded of the hundreds of teachers and classroom assistants who are being made redundant"

Without realising that the town is 70 miles from the coast, Mr Clarke retorted: "Perhaps I could visit you in Harrogate and lounge on that beach this summer."

He is not the only minister to need a geography lesson. In March last year, Trade and Industry Secretary Patricia Hewitt - criticising Tory comments after they had held a weekend conference in the town - said: "It must be all that seaside air in Harrogate."