It's a sign of the times; new warnings have been installed in Margate in a bid to further improve night-time safety in the town.

The signs are part of a clamp down on drivers using the taxi rank outside Escape nightclub on Marine Terrace as a car park.

They were placed by pub supermo Frank Thorley, after cabbies contacted Thanet Community Safety Partnership claiming they were losing business because of illegally parked cars.

Cllr Iris Johnston, who supported their campaign alongside fellow Margate councillor John Watkins, also expressed concern that revellers could mistakedly climb into private vehicles after a night out, instead of using one of Thanet’s licensed cabs.

She feared that partygoers risked being sexually assaulted or attacked if they accepted a lift from a bogus driver, although Kent Police said there had been no such incidents in Thanet.

Tiffany Hall from Thanet Community Safety Partnership said: “So far, the signs have proved a great deterrent and taxi drivers are really happy that they have their area back again.

“People on a night out now know they can go direct to the rank, hire an official cab and be away and home safely and quickly.”