'Daventry Banksie' pothole signs disappear

A new sign appeared in response to the removal of previous messages

Mysterious anti-pothole signs put up by a campaigner calling himself "Daventry Banksie" have been removed.

The signs started appearing last week in and around the Northamptonshire town.

"Daventry Banksie" said he would stop placing them if the council apologised for the state of the roads.

West Northamptonshire Council said it was "working to prioritise and complete works [on potholes] as quickly as possible".

The signs were spotted attached to railings on roundabouts and lampposts.

They had used pothole-related puns, such as "Pot Holy Island" or offered friendly, light-hearted advice such as "hold on tight".

They were hand-painted on wood - with one of the signs was written on a door.

The sign placed near a hospital in Daventry was written on a door, which still had its handle

Speaking to BBC Online, "Daventry Banksie" (sic) said that he had started the campaign after hearing stories of people being affected by potholes, and would carry on erecting the signs until the council apologised.

The story of his protest made it onto the airwaves of national radio.

BBC Radio 1's Newsbeat programme spoke to drivers in Daventry, with one claiming: "I've avoided several places or gone different routes to avoid potholes, because I know where they are."

Another motorist added that she felt "very sorry for my car every time when I don't see one".

Following the removal of the signs, a placard appeared next to a road sign which said: "WNC You can take our signs but you can't take our freedom."

One of the signs - on a road between Daventry and Long Buckby - claimed the town was "twinned with Grand Canyon"

Fixing signs onto road infrastructure can be an offence under Section 132 of the Highways Act 1980, but West Northamptonshire Council has not yet responded to a question from the BBC about whether it intends to take action against the campaigner.

The council previously said: "We understand the frustration [potholes are] causing our residents and we are working to prioritise and complete works as quickly as possible.

"We have identified areas that could maximise the benefits of new machinery and are in the process of incorporating this into our planning for future works."