TRANSPORT chiefs have vowed to take action after rural protection charities called for Suffolk’s countryside to be de-cluttered of thousands of unnecessary road signs.

With roads signs bombarding the region’s drivers with an overload of information, the call came after the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) announced its delight that the Government was to rid the nation of signage clutter.

Communities Secretary Eric Pickles and Transport Secretary Philip Hammond are to write to councils asking them to “cut the clutter”, echoing calls first made in 1996.

Ralph Smyth, senior transport campaigner for CPRE, said: “Clutter needs to be tackled in both rural and urban areas. Clutter is not just ugly – it’s expensive and distracts drivers.”

Earlier this year, the East Anglian Daily Times launched a campaign to highlight examples of the public’s hard-earned cash being wasted – including 20 signs signalling a cycle path in Ipswich within a half-mile section of road.

County councillor with responsibility for transport, Guy McGregor, told the EADT that he agreed that most of the county had “perhaps become overrun by too many signs”.

He said: “A few years ago, I was involved in a similar campaign after it became apparent that there was a multitude of signs throughout the region.

“I believe the time has come for us to look at this again because this has maybe crept up on us. It is probably time for possible action to be taken because it does appear that the county has perhaps become over-run by too many signs.”

Dr Wil Gibson, chief executive of Suffolk ACRE, later said that the trust supported the call for a minimal level of signage with an adequate and safe quantity of information.

He hoped that the local community would be involved in any consultation surrounding the de-cluttering process.

n Have you spotted any unnecessary signs throughout the county. Write to Wage War on Waste, c/o The Editor, East Anglian Daily Times, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich IP4 1AN,