‘Typical council’: residents baffled after ‘keep clear’ sign appears 15 years too late

Hassan Ali was on holiday in Budapest when he was contacted by his neighbour about a sign that had been painted on the road directly outside his semi-detached home in Staffordshire. The bright yellow sign, which read “School: Keep Clear”, was painted on Greendock Street in the early hours of Friday morning, his neighbour informed him – a bewildering update considering there was no school to keep clear of and had not been one for the past 15 years. “It’s ridiculous,” Ali said. “The school moved 15 years ago. Plus, even if there is a school, the access to the school should be [over] there, not in front of my house.” The sign remained visible even after the council’s hasty intervention. Photograph: Neha Gohil/The Guardian It’s a debacle that has caused somewhat of a stir in Longton, one of six towns in Stoke-on-Trent , attracting local media attention and forcing the council’s Labour leader, Jane Ashworth, to apologise for the mistake, admitting there “clearly isn’t a school” there. The daubing has since been covered with black paint, making it barely legible while driving – an immediate response by the council seemingly to allay fears that people could receive a fine for parking outside their homes. However, the letters are still noticeable. Ali said his friend had reported the road sign to local media and he believes the subsequent attention forced the council to act quickly. “Because of all the hoo-ha that happened … they act[ed] immediately,” he said. …