Preston's gyms, bars, house builders and businesses attach the glossy flags to buildings and railings to recruit members and customers, often without the necessary permission.

But Coun Terry Cartwright, who represents the Deepdale ward, has admitted he carries a small pair of scissors on his keyring to cut the offending posters down.

In the past, he has even challenged people he has caught in act as they fastened the banners to railings.

He said: "I cut the signs down and take them home or put them in the bin.

"I do it in full view of everybody and they can challenge me if they want.

"They're all over the place and it's time they were taken down.

"We're missing a lot and it's bad.

"Sometimes, they're damaging the trees they attach these to.

"It's just really annoying for residents; it's blighting their area and people are fed up with it.

"I don't like to see litter and they're littering the streets of Preston and it's about time we got shot of them."

And he won the backing of Coun Geoff Driver, a colleague on the council's planning committee, who said: "I agree with Terry and I do the same."

Alan Lowe, enforcement officer at Preston Council, said: "It's a progressive, on-going, ever-increasing and never-ending process."

He said the council was also taking action to remove advertising trailers parked up alongside the motorway through Preston.

Action has already been taken to stop the trailers being parked at the former Petrolfina fuel depot in Chain Caul Road, Riversway.

And illegal adverts on a trailer in a field off Blackleach Lane, Woodplumpton, near Preston, were removed.



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