A LOCAL pub landlord said the county council has let local businesses down in the north of the Cotswolds by not replacing road signs that had been missing for nearly two years.

Nick Deverill-Smith, landlord and chef of the Churchill Arms, in Paxford, said he had been in touch with Highways by email since the pub was re-opened in January because most of the signposts had the village name either missing or obscured.

Two months ago the Journal was contacted by Paxford resident, David Cranke, who said over the past year he had twice reported to the council that at least five road junctions where signs directing vehicles to Paxford were missing but nothing had been done.

He took photographs of posts with no arms at all, some laying on the ground and another becoming overgrown in the hedgerow.

Mr Cranke said: "There are two signs directing motorists to Paxford from the Fosse Way but few as you get nearer the village. There is a newly opened pub in Paxford now but how are people going to find it that are not from the area?"

In March a spokesman for Highways said four new signs had been ordered to replace the missing ones and the one that had fallen over would be repositioned. He said they would be in place by early April but have still not materialised

This week Mr Deverill-Smith said it was unfair to visitors and those looking for his pub or bed and breakfast establishments in the area because they struggled to find them.

"There are hardly any signs and there is virtually no mobile phone signal. People not knowing the area easily get lost and I expect just turn around and go somewhere else," he said.

"Several people calling into the pub have mentioned the fact there are no signs. It's like this area has been forgotten. But it's also not fair on people driving around the Cotswolds trying to find a particular place and getting frustrated. How are they meant to know where they are going? It would also cause problems if they broke down because they wouldn't know where they were."

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Mr Cranke said he had been taking more photographs around the junctions and said the one leaning back into the hedge was quickly becoming overgrown with new hedge growth. The one that had fallen over was still down.

However, he did add that since the Journal had been in touch with Highways last week a couple of signs had reappeared.

Mr Cranke added: "So that’s two out of six signs now that are readable. As it took nearly two years to get to this stage by my reasoning the other four will be completed by Christmas 2016."

Bob Skillern, local Highways manager with Gloucestershire County Council said: “Some of these new road signs have already been installed and the remainder will be up by next month.”

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