Cornholme erotic books note attacks 'cesspit' Hebden Bridge

Liz Thorpe decorated the box after it was only installed about six weeks ago

A small village became the unlikely centre of attention after a resident apparently took offence at erotic fiction in its mini-library.

An angry message railing against "pornographic" titles was stuck to the book-swap box in Cornholme, West Yorkshire.

It urged people to take their filth to nearby Hebden Bridge, describing the liberal mill town as a "cesspit".

Locals there thanked the anonymous author for the free publicity.

A photo of the sign, which defended the "good, God-fearing" folk of Cornholme, was widely shared on Twitter and liked more than 13,000 times.

Liz Thorpe, 57, decorated the book box with a stencilled butterfly and flowers design after it was installed about six weeks ago.

She found out about the sticker, which has since been removed, when she saw a photo of it on social media.

• More stories from around Yorkshire

"I thought it was quite offensive," she said. "I think people's perception of what is pornographic can vary enormously.

"I don't know why, if they found something they deemed inappropriate, they didn't just take it away. There's no need to put that notice on there."

Mrs Thorpe said the box contained "run-of-the-mill" paperbacks, including books for children, and nothing that could have caused offence.

Indeed, when the BBC visited on Friday it found titles by Ruth Rendall, Wilbur Smith and Maeve Binchy.

The box included titles by Ruth Rendall, Wilbur Smith and Maeve Binchy, with no erotic fiction to be seen

Some have questioned whether the sign was actually installed by a local wind-up merchant, but 60-year-old Russell King, from Todmorden, believes otherwise.

He saw the image on Twitter and came down to Cornholme to see what the fuss was about.

"I'm not surprised, I know the area and it is a God-fearing place, it is a good way to describe it," he said.

"I think it was genuinely felt, I don't think it was a joke," he said.

As word of the strange sign spread to Hebden Bridge, being branded a cesspit seemed to amuse rather than annoy.

The town, which is seven miles away from Cornholme, has an arty reputation, has a number of independent shops and is a popular filming location, with shows including Happy Valley being shot there.

Kevin Duffy, of publisher Bluemoose Book, said it was "more a fountain of creativity than a cesspit," and it was a place loved by "artists, hippies, counsellors, writers and poets".

Hebden Bridge is known as a haven for artistic and creative people

Local councillor Josh Fenton-Glynn shared an image of the sign on Twitter, and said it was great publicity for Hebden Bridge.

He was, however, sure to praise its local rival, and admitted Cornholme was a "lovely" place with "some nice pubs".