A councillor has launched a bid to blitz a rash of posters which have sprung up in the Shipley and Bingley areas.

The posters - appealing to people desperate to earn more cash - have been attached to lamp posts, traffic lights and even trees.

And Councillor Margaret Eaton (Con, Bingley Rural) fears the illegal adverts may distract drivers who should be keeping their eyes on the road.

She said: "They are becoming very common indeed and getting to be an eyesore. They are not big enough to read easily so motorists have to peer at them and I am worried about the safety implications. The signs are quite distracting and it could be dangerous for motorists."

She added: "I have spoken to Bradford's planners and they say they have to physically catch the people putting them up. The way the legislation is framed doesn't make it easy. I will be writing to our highways people suggesting they take them down."

Cullingworth parish councillor Brian Hobson said: "These signs are all over the place, advertising all sorts of things, particularly around Cullingworth, Harden, and Sandy Lane. Somebody is going to have a bump if they're not got rid of."

But Brenda Rutter, from Allerton, who with her husband Simon offers people the opportunity to earn extra money, said: "We put posters on telegraph poles. It's network marketing and people can earn big money through it. I have stopped working now and just do this. There are plenty of people out there who want to earn extra money.

"We put them where we think people are going to see them. They are very eye-catching and are an effective way of getting people's attention. We get a lot of response from them, on average, around 10 to 20 replies a week. We put them where traffic comes to a standstill. There's no danger whatsoever."

A Bradford Council spokesperson said: "Fly posting on the highways is illegal and is a widespread problem across the district. If Coun Eaton would like to contact us we will obviously look into any matters raised. If posters are on the highway the public can remove them but if they need any advice they should contact the nearest highway maintenance office."

Sergeant Paul Clynch, of Keighley traffic police, said: "We are concerned about anything that provides an unsafe distraction for drivers. Fly posting contravenes Council bylaws more obviously than the criminal laws and there is the possibility of prosecutions being taken out under the litter act."

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