A REVIEW of Lancashire's road signs has been launched amid fears they are making the county look untidy.

Lancashire County Council's highways chief has ordered a review to make sure signs aren't cluttering up roadsides unnecessarily.

Coun Jean Yates fears many signs are now surplus to requirements because they direct people to places which either don't exist or now have an easier access route.

She wants to see, wherever possible, directions all placed on one sign, rather than on several staggered down a road.

Her move is backed by the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE), which, by coincidence launched a campaign to reduce the number of signs on the roads.

Coun Yates said: "Lancashire is a very attractive county but I am concerned that that is somewhat spoilt by the proliferation of road signs."

She cited the example of the 'Quiet Lanes' initiative in the Ribble Valley, which has resulted in signs being put up to direct traffic along different roads.

One example of reducing the number of signs would be combining a village nameplate along with a speed limit sign into one.

Coun Yates added: "We have to look to see if we need the old signs. In some places, the things they are pointing to don't exist any more.

"I want to stop confusion and ensure Lancashire's street aren't being cluttered up without real reason."

A CPRE spokesman said: "Each new sign appears in isolation, and is fairly inconspicuous. But taken together, they are robbing the countryside of its character."

A spokesman for road safety charity BRAKE said: "We would like to see more repeater signs on roads, so people know exactly how fast they should be driving."

The AA believes too many signs could pose a danger. A spokesman said: "Signs, especially illegal ones, can be very distracting."

At the same time, the county council is considering using photos of people who died at traffic blackspots at the side of the road in a bid to cut speeds.