Sutton animal crossing sign put in wrong place

Residents are claiming a long-awaited animal crossing sign to protect ducks and swans has been installed in the wrong place by Sutton Council.

The Carshalton Ponds area has become a hotspot for road-related bird deaths due to the busy A232 near Sutton, south London.

As a result, local activists and residents set up a campaign for the installation of signs warning vehicles of nearby animals.

After a two-and-a-half-year wait by locals and activists, one of three new signs ended up on the wrong side of the road.

Saffron Gloyne, a local activist, highlighted the council's mistake, saying: "Two are in the right place, one is in the wrong place."

Complaints about the signs lacking promising information were also made.

Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service about the signs, Ms Gloyne said: "There’s also no writing... there’s just [a picture of] ducks.”

The residents involved question the council's commitment, suggesting the local authority either spent insufficiently or made a mistake.

While the council says the signs meet highway design standards, residents argue that the wrongly located sign undermines its purpose.

Sutton Council said it had scheduled a review of the wrongly located sign and it was ready to co-operate with residents to ensure the signs were in the right place.

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