Costly illuminated signs

Illuminated signs are proving to be a costly expense, according to figures just released by Workington County Council.

The money paid out is for the renewal, replacement and repair of illuminated signs on the counties roads and highways.

But a local firm of auditors has said more can still be done after it carried out a nationwide investigation to discover how much illuminated signs were costing the British taxpayer.

Workington has a vast road network, which accounts for the large amount of money it spends on maintaining its illuminated signs.

Paul Wilkinson, the highways director, said there were around 98,000 non illuminated signs and 14,000 illuminated signs throughout the network.

He said maintenance was carried out once a year between May and July to make sure the illuminated signs were both legible and not a danger to the public.