Painted roundabout clean-up to cost council £3,500

Cleaning paint from roundabouts in Dorset is likely to cost in the region of £3,500, according to the local authority.

Dorset Council says it has identified 17 roundabouts that need cleaning and that work on some of them has already taken place.

It said, to reduce costs and improve efficiency, it was incorporating the cleaning into its general work programme.

The figures come after a spate of incidents where red paint has been daubed onto mini roundabouts.

A spokesperson said: "The primary costs involved relate to traffic management and the removal of paint, which is estimated to be around £200 per roundabout, depending on the difficulty of removing the paint.

"It is important to note that defacing road markings is an offence under the Highways Act 1980.

"Such actions can compromise visibility, distract drivers, and increase the risk of accidents for both road users and pedestrians."

The council said it would also be removing flags attached to posts, poles and lampposts but has not attached a cost to that work.