Is this election fever gone crazy ... or just a sign of the times?

A Labour Party member asked for roadworks signs to be taken down in Colchester because they were yellow - the Liberal Democrat colour.

With just weeks before the May 4 borough elections, the person complained to Colchester Council highways department about the boards in Berechurch.

Council workers had innocently put them up as a routine warning to residents. Situated, near the Birch Glen estate, Mersea Road, they indicated in black writing on a yellow background that traffic calming works would start next month and may cause disruption.

Senior politicians are amazed such an innocuous message board could have been interpreted as political bias.

Nevertheless the complainant was so incensed that a council officer was dispatched to the Lib Dem office in Colchester to take a sample of their yellow campaign poster.

The idea, it is said, was to carefully compare the yellow on the Lib Dems publicity with the shade on the roadworks sign.

Barry Layzell, Colchester Council's head of highways, confirmed four signs had been removed because the yellow did not conform to Department of Transport standards.

He said this gave them the opportunity to alter the words on the sign to say the works would start in mid-May rather than an actual date.

Tim Young, Colchester Labour group leader, said he was unaware of the complaint and stressed it was not sanctioned by his party.

He said: "Whoever complained must have done it as a bit of a joke. But I want to know why were the wrong signs with the wrong wording put up in the first place?"

Terry Sutton, Lib Dem planning and environment chief, said: "It is absolutely hilarious. Whatever next, taking down danger signs because they are red, the colour of Labour? Or what about motorway signs that are blue. Is that an indication of Tory bias?"

Nigel Chapman, Tory group leader, said: "The whole thing sounds pathetic and trivial."

The new signs are due to be in place from today (Thursday).

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