Return of the phantom sign thief

9:44am Saturday 12th March 2005

ALL had gone quiet for over a year, but now the phantom road sign thieves are back.

Such was the extent of the original problem that Epping Forest District Council highways chiefs decided that the only way to thwart the thieves, who it is thought were stealing the signs to sell as scrap metal, was to replace at least some of them with plastic ones.

More than 200 signs - including village place name signs and bend chevron signs - disappeared over several months, leaving the council with a £15,000 bill to cover the cost of replacing them.

Now, in the latest spate of thefts, more than a dozen signs have been taken. This time metal signs have disappeared from roadsides in the Epping Green area, which is where the mystery thefts were first reported two years ago.

Epping Upland rector Rev Chris Bard, who noticed that the Epping Green village signs had gone, told the Guardian: "They've stolen our identity, not just bits of aluminium. It's like the war, people don't know where they are.It's important that people know which community they are in."

Local district councillor Penny Smith said the Jacks Hatch and Epping Green name plates, a right-hand turn warning sign and an icy roads' warning sign which had been near Cobbins Brook all disappeared one night last week.

She said: "It's extremely irritating because of the time and the amount of money it takes to replace them. It's also dangerous. These warning signs are now not where they should be. They are there for a good reason."

Most of the original series of thefts occurred in rural parts of the district, including Stanford Rivers, Matching and Roydon.

Many of the signs are specially made, and are costly to replace.

Epping Forest Council civil engineering and maintenance portfolio holder Don Spinks said: "It beggars belief that anyone can be so irresponsible as to steal road safety signs. There is no way we can replace them at the rate they have been taken and in the meantime there is a real risk to road users.

"We are aware of the stolen signs. Highways officers saw them, or rather did not see them, last Thursday. We have not had a chance to quanitify fully the loss yet, although the initial estimate is about 14 signs costing about £2,500.

"This will entail additional officer time to review fully and procure replacements, which is at present is fully stretched."

l Just how widespread is the problem?

Many of you contacted us when we first reported the thefts a couple of years ago. Are you aware of a sign that is no longer there? Let us know.

Write to Guardian Newspapers, 8 Simon Campion Court, High Street, Epping, Essex, CM16 4AU, ring our newsroom on 01992 572285 or email djackman@london.newsquest.co.uk

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