THE average tax payer may feel just a bit surprised that Kirklees Council is reported to be spending £96,000 a year on bottled water.

But things are not what they seem, evidently, and we are talking water chillers and large containers here rather than fancy little designer bottles.

Council officials make the point they are wary of the tap water quality in some of the older buildings – and that some places don’t even have taps.

The wonder is that these workplaces have survived in use, given all the health and safety regulations which cloak our country.

It might be going a little too far to propose that all the council’s water coolers are axed, but there should certainly be a review to see if every one is genuinely needed.

Environment minister Phil Woolas is correct to question why Britons drink millions of litres of bottled water every day when safe tap water is available.

The fizzy bottled stuff might be an acceptable alternative to wine over lunch, but for hour by hour thirst quenching there’s little to beat good old Yorkshire water as dispensed through a tap.

We don’t sell air in a tin, so why should we need water in a bottle?