VILLAGERS in Bradford-on-Tone are unhappy after Somerset County Council removed signs aimed at encouraging drivers to slow down.

The signs, paid for by the parish council and available in the village shop, said ‘20 is Plenty – Think Amy’.

Parish councillor Andrew Brodie, who lives in Lower Stoford Lane, said: “Some people drive very quickly through Bradford-on-Tone – most people are sensible but a few are really quite dangerous. Speeding is an issue, like it probably is in most villages.”

He said it was ‘a bit of a shock’ that the signs had been removed and wondered what the county council was going to do now to help tackle speeding.

The signs were stocked in the village shop about six weeks ago, Mr Brodie said, and were handed out free. Some 20-30 were displayed, usually fixed to a piece of wood and placed at the roadside or in gardens.

Mr Brodie added: “Many people who live along the main stretch in the village put them out. Obviously the idea was to encourage drivers to think about other people. We have lots of horse riders, runners, walkers, cyclists and people with pushchairs in the village, and we wanted drivers to think before going very quickly. I guess the county council felt the signs conflicted with its signs that said ‘30’. We were saying 30 is the limit but ‘20 is plenty’ and that is what it said on the signs.”

Somerset County Council said it appreciated the signs were well intended but it had strict rules about road signs which it had a duty to enforce. It encouraged the community to get in touch so that it could discuss other options to tackle speeding that might be available.

Mr Brodie said the issue will be discussed at the next parish council meeting on Wednesday, July 24.

Jane Hofmeister launched the ‘Think Amy’ campaign after her daughter Amy, 13, was killed by two drivers involved in a high-speed chase through Taunton in 2011.