County highways workers were taken aback after dozens of signs in rural roads near Bury St Edmunds went missing this week, apparently taken down in broad daylight.

Now motorists are being warned to be aware when driving through villages to the east of the town, while one village could have to put a Speed Watch campaign on hold as a result of the thefts.

Areas hit included the roads around Rougham, Drinkstone, Drinkstone Green, Beyton, Great Barton, Woolpit and Thurston, with the thefts ranging from diversion signs to warnings about bends in the road and speed signs.

County officials, who said the signs were worth around £5,000, said they believed the thieves were hoping to sell their loot for its aluminium content after the price of the metal went up.

Sharon Rose, Drinkstone Parish Council clerk, said a large welcome sign with a 30mph marker had been taken from the entrance to the village, possibly scuppering plans to set up a campaign to deter drivers from speeding.

"Someone knocked on my door at 10pm on Tuesday and told me, so I had a look on

my way to work on Wednesday and all the signs along Park Road have disappeared completely," she said.

"The great big sign as you come in from Gedding, that welcomes you and says 'please drive carefully' with a 30mph sign, has gone.

"They are just opportunists. It's absolutely despicable. We're about to get a Speed Watch co-operative with some other villages going because we have a problem with speeding.

"If there's no speed limit sign it's going to add to the problems and this is going to put that campaign on hold."

John Boutcher, Suffolk County Council's assistant area manager for transport, said it was believed the thieves were trying to pass themselves off as officials and asked for anyone who spotted suspicious activity to contact police.

"My concern is that there are dangerous junctions and we have got to get signs up to replace them," he said.

"It causes a huge amount of inconvenience and a great deal of difficulty for us, and I hope the people get caught."

A police spokewoman said the signs went missing between 6pm on Monday and 7am on Wednesday.

"The theft of these signs is irresponsible," she said.

"They were placed on these rural roads to indicate diversions and their removal will have led to much frustration for drivers.

"In addition, any larger vehicles using these routes would have potentially ended up on unsuitable country lanes, putting themselves and other road users at risk."

Anyone with any information, should contact Sgt Colin Curtis on 01473 613500, or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.


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