BBCSpanish-language road signs warning lorry drivers not to pass through the narrow country lanes of a Lancashire village are set to be removed.
Lancashire County Council said it planned to take down the “unauthorised” signs, on Carr Lane in Tarleton, although who erected them remains a mystery.
The blue signs inform road-users of a dead-end ahead, with the words “Camiones No Pasar” – Spanish for “trucks do not pass” – displayed on a separate sign underneath a traditional sign bearing a red and white T-shaped symbol.
Locals in Tarleton told the BBC the warnings had done “a good job” at preventing lorries from becoming stuck in the narrow lanes around the village.
“It’s amazing how many HGVs [heavy goods vehicles] come through this village,” said Hayden Latham, Tarleton parish councillor.
“To my knowledge, these signs have been up for quite a number of years and they do a very good job at stopping HGVs going down little windy country lanes.”
“Quite a few of them have ended up in ditches – and so, as well as saving the lives of villagers, it’s also saving the heavy goods vehicles,” he added, highlighting how a signifcant number of driver passing through the village are international.
“We don’t know where they came from,” Margaret Carter, a member at Tarleton Bowling Club, told the BBC – referring to the Spanish-language signs.
“But we get so many HGV wagon drivers who come from Spain because of the vegetable farming here.
“Maybe one of the wagon people thought they didn’t want to lose another driver in a ditch, so they organised to put the signs up.”
Barbara Wilson, president of the bowling club, said the signs help the local farming industry.
“We think maybe it is to stop wagons getting stranded on narrow roads around the village – but also we have lots of local growers who travel off of the main road to go to the greenhouses.”
Ms Wilson, 79, who has lived in the village for 56 years, said many locals had believed the signs were put up by the council “but maybe it was one of the local growers”.
“We also thought we might have had people in the village who were Spanish.”
A spokesperson for Lancashire County Council said: “We have been made aware of some unauthorised Spanish road signage stating that there are restrictions on access for HGVs on Carr Lane in Tarleton.
“The signage has not been authorised by us, and is not permitted under UK legislation.
“There are no current restrictions on access for HGVs here. As such, our highway maintenance officers will be removing it.”
