TODAY the Wharfedale Observer calls on the people of Otley to unite against the hated 'Welcome to Leeds' signs at the entrances to the town.

We are asking as many people as possible to sign a petition calling for the signs to be removed immediately - or for them to be changed to read 'Welcome to Otley'.

Since the large yellow-green signs started going up last month, angry residents have contacted our office and hundreds have complained to town and district councillors.

They are furious that the road signs (which cost £1,000 each) at Carr Bank, Ilkley Road, Farnley Lane and Ellar Ghyll, announce 'Welcome to Leeds' - some ten miles away - and make no mention of Otley.

Now the sign in Farnley Lane has been vandalised - with the word 'Leeds' sprayed out and replaced with 'Otley'.

The Wharfedale Observer does not encourage this sort of protest - we urge you to make your feelings known through our petition.

The city council, which has said between 40 and 50 of the signs are going up all over the district, has said it is willing to make adaptions and is to include the words 'Leeds Metropolitan District' - but Otley will still not feature.

Councillor Nigel Francis, who has received more than 100 calls from irate residents, said he would be giving the Wharfedale Observer's petition his full support.

And he added he would be calling on the town council at Monday's annual parish meeting to give the petition its wholehearted support and make the removal of the signs the newly elected town council's first priority.

"I will be supporting the petition and one of the first things I will be asking for is for the signs to be removed or for signs to be put up that would be more suitable for the people of Otley," said Coun Francis.

He added that ideally he would like to see the signs taken down, but would be willing for them to stay as long as the wording was changed.

"I would rather they disappear totally, but if not then there is no reason why we could not have Welcome to Otley with 'part of Leeds Metroplitan District' put at the bottom," added Coun Francis.

Councillor Colin Campbell said the signs had caused anger in the town.

"These have caused more aggravation than anything I can remember. A petition is certainly something I would support," said Coun Campbell.

He added that one angry person had suggested adapting the wording on the signs.

"Someone said to me that they would like to alter the signs by adding 'You're' in front of 'Welcome to Leeds' and adding 'we live in Otley' at the end," said Coun Campbell.

A spokeswoman for Leeds City Council said the council looked seriously at any vandalism of signs.

"Vandalism of any highways signs is obviously taken very seriously by the city council. Where it does occur, arrangements will be made to remove any graffiti.

"Meanwhile, arrangements for the addition of the words 'Leeds Metropolitan District' to the welcome signs are progressing."

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.