Road signs illegally removed in Garvagh and Aghadowey

The initial discovery was made by a Coleraine Borough Council refuge collection team during last week’s weekly bin collection in the area.

The workers found ten street name signs and give-way signs were dug up and dumped by the side of the road, some of them hundreds of yards from where they originated.

A few days later a further six signs were unearthed, in what can only be described as mindless acts of vandalism.

Tommy Neil, Technical Services Officer at Coleraine Borough Council, said: “Over the past two weeks no fewer than sixteen road and street name signs have been removed from roads in and around Aghadowey and Garvagh.

“We are very concerned about this ongoing ‘hobby’ to remove road signs, in total there have been forty signs removed since last year. It is obvious that these signs were dug up using a mechanical device by someone with complete disregard for the public.

“Council workers immediately alerted the necessary department in order to get the signs restored. It is hoped that this will be completed within the next few weeks but repair work is being hampered by further acts of destruction. I would estimate that the cost of this will run into thousands of pounds for repairs to the signs, materials and manpower.”

Garvagh councillor, Adrian McQuillan, condemned the ‘idiotic’ acts of vandalism.

“The removal of road and street signs is a very serious issue; signs are there for a purpose, to give direction,” he said.

“If this direction is not available this could have a detrimental effect on such services as police, fire and the ambulance.

“I do not understand the mentality or reasoning behind such meaningless destruction. This just adds another strain to the already stretched public purse.”

Council is encouraging the public to report such acts of vandalism to police.

A police spokesperson said police had received reports of road signs being pulled from the ground in the Carhill Road area between Garvagh and Swatragh earlier this week.

Anyone who witnesses this happening is asked to contact police immediately. The telephone number to ring is 0845 600 8000. Alternatively information can be passed on anonymously through the ‘Crimestoppers’ charity on freephone 0800 555 111.