AN ARMY of 20 took to the streets of Kirklees yesterday. Their mission - a blitz on flyposting.
From 8am, 10 two-man squads set out across the district, armed with pliers, snippers and stepladders, to rid the streets of signs, posters and flyers.
The blitz is being co-ordinated by Kirklees Council.
The squads targeted areas including rings roads, town centres and major routes. They brought back about 1,000 signs and flyers.
A council spokesman said: "We consider it a success. Flyposting is a big problem."
The squads are sent in once a year in the council's war on litter and illegal signs.
The spokesman added: "We remove flyposters when we can, but it gets out of hand and we have to send the squad in."
He said signs needed to be removed from roadsides because they distracted drivers and pedestrians.
He also said larger signs were dangerous because they could fall on passers-by.
"They look unsightly as well," he added.
The spokesman said no prosecutions would be carried out despite yesterday's blitz.
He said: "We try to take action where we can. But it is the people who put them up who create an offence, not the people who advertise on them.
"So it is difficult. You have to catch them in the act."
He said if anyone had problems with flyposting they should phone the Ross Streetcare hotline on 0800 731 8765.
