Pothole sign taken down for 'distracting drivers'... but what about the holes?
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Police have forced a concerned Kent homeowner to take down
a sign he created to warn drivers of a badly-potholed road.
Plumber Ted Relf was ordered to take down his homemade pothole
warning sign because the police claimed it was a distraction to
drivers.
He thought he was performing a public service but was surprised
to receive a knock on the door from a PCSO (police community
support officer).
Mr Relf said: "He said it was a distraction so I pointed at the
road and said 'What’s that pothole then? That’s a distraction’.
"I can’t believe it’s an offence to have a warning sign
for the benefit of motorists and cyclists on my fence. I thought I
was being helpful and public spirited.
"In the end we had a compromise, I will take the sign down and
if the roads are repaired in the next two weeks it will stay down.
If not, it will go back up."
Although Kent Highways Services workers have fixed some of the
worst holes in the road, in the village of Shadoxhurst near
Ashford, Mr Relf said that Church Lane and other roads were still
bad.
Mr Relf also spoke to Ashford Borough Council’s planning
department and was told it would cost him £335 to submit an
application for retrospective planning permission for the sign.
However as the sign is only temporary, he felt paying a large fee
was unnecessary.
He said: "It is just a small chipboard sign about 27in by 27in.
It went up last year as well and once they fixed the roads it came
down.
"It’s obviously rubbed someone up the wrong way. It’s ridiculous
really. If there are potholes then people should be made
aware."
Police spokesman Jon Green said: "We didn’t force him to take
the sign down. He willingly took it down after we spoke to him.
"There was a complaint and it was causing a distraction.
Obviously we’ve got to think of the safety of pedestrians and
motorists so we’ll be contacting Kent Highway Services to get the
potholes sorted out."
Wednesday, March 31 2010
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