Faversham councillor Cindy Davis's DIY sign of the austere times

A FAVERSHAM councillor has taken matters into her own hands after being told she could wait 13 years for a new street sign.

The sign for Mutton Lane fell down in May last year but despite pleas to Swale Borough Council, it was never replaced.

Instead, town councillor Cindy Davis, who lives on the lane, crafted her own out of blue plastic and hung it on a gate so that visitors would be able to find the street.

She said: "I'm just so cross about it. It needed replacing about 30 years ago when we moved in.

The wooden backing started coming off and then one day last year we returned to find the sign on the ground.

"We were expecting a replacement but were told it was too expensive and that we would be put on a list.

I wrote to the chief executive twice because it is the statutory duty of the borough council to supply them.

"Then one day we were having people over from Germany and I was worried they wouldn't find the road so I made one with plastic I had lying around in the garage.

"I'm a little ashamed of it and I would like to make it look a bit better but it has become a bit of a joke amongst friends now!"

Other streets in need of replacement signs include Macknade Avenue, Cress Way and Mount Field, and Cindy said the problem was widespread across the town.

County councillor Tom Gates had also received complaints over missing street signs, and was told there was a 13-year waiting list to replace them because of a lack of cash.

At a meeting of the town council on Monday he said he would consider using his own member's funds to replace the signs if the borough council refused, adding: "It's very confusing for posties and for visitors if people don't have street signs and we need to find a way to replace them."

Is your street sign missing? Should it be a priority for the council, or would you rather see the money spent elsewhere and more home-made signs like Cindy's?

Let us know by writing to the address on page 2 or e-mailing newsdesk.times@KRNmedia.co.uk