County councillors Richard John and Jayne McKenna have been blowing the cobwebs away by cleaning mucky road signs in their Mitchel Troy and Trellech ward.

The pair took advantage of the gap between Christmas and New Year to clean road signs in Trellech, Penallt and Far Hill, which had been caked in dirt and mud. These included speed limit and warning signs, several village hall signs and directional signs.

The two Conservative councillors have a reputation for getting their hands dirty and getting things done in the villages they represent on the County Council.

Cllr Richard John said, “It may seem trivial to some, but it’s really important that road signs are clearly visible for motorists and other road users, firstly for safety but it also contributes to a sense of pride in a clean and well looked-after community.

“Several of the signs we cleaned on key arterial routes were barely legible, so hopefully some of these warning signs will now be clearer for motorists as well as some slightly obscured speed limit signs.

“Inevitably, in a rural area signs can pick up dirt from passing agricultural traffic as well as nearby foliage and general dirt, but sometimes all they need is a splash of water and a bit of a scrub to come clean.”

Cllr Jayne McKenna said, “A community that is clearly well looked-after is less likely to attract anti-social behaviour such as fly tipping, littering, graffiti and fly posting.

“Cleaning road signs is a small thing we can do to complement the work of volunteers across the county who help look after their local community, including by picking litter.

“The Wye Valley area of outstanding natural beauty is an incredible place to live, but there are things we can all do to help our villages look their best.”