THE controversial Welcome to Leeds signs at the entrances to Otley and other communities remain in place - almost a year after they first went up.

Many of the yellow and blue signs have been vandalised after furious residents took exception to having their individual identities removed and their communities sucked into Leeds. They were also condemned as eyesores.

But ten months after the £1,000 signs first went up, and nine months after Leeds City Council said it would make changes to the signs - nothing has been done.

The council, which bowed to public pressure including a 3,600 name petition collected by The Wharfedale Observer, says it is still in negotiations with town and parish councils and other organisations about additional and more individual signs which will be added onto the original ones.

But an Otley Town Councillor has criticised the consultation process and says he has not even seen one of the new, proposed additions.

Councillor Nigel Francis said: "I've not seen a sign and I've certainly not seen these things that they are going to put up. I don't think Leeds are bothered about us in the fringe areas. Unless you are in the centre of Leeds, they're not bothered. I believe we need to take far more independent stances because at the moment we are generally getting screwed by Leeds city centre."

A Leeds City Council spokeswoman said the council was in the process of completing consultations about the boundary signs.

"In response to the concerns expressed by local communities, it is now proposed that additional signs will be erected to identify local place names.

"Until the latest arrangements have been finalised, it is felt to be imprudent to clean up the signs which have been defaced. This work will now be done when the new, additional signs are erected."

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