‘I’m carrying on’; Man, 69, vows to keep cleaning road signs in South Downs village

Sixty-nine-year-old retired lawyer Sandy Pratt took it on himself to scrub clean road signs around Storrington after seeing they were “in an awful state with no one doing anything about it.”

Many were filthy with overgrown foliage making them unreadable.

West Sussex County Council, which is responsible for the signs, thanked Sandy for his work after learning of his exploits. But the council warned people to take care if working close to the highway.

And a council spokesman said: “There’s information on how local communities can help tackle certain highway issues safely – including cleaning signs - by working with us through Community Highways Partnerships.”

But Sandy, who is helped in his sign-cleaning by friend Malina Swann, maintains the council is ‘failing in its duty.’

And, he vowed: “I will continue doing my bit to improve things in some small way.”

He said the council should consider “how dirty, grimy signs detract from our lovely villages and countryside and act accordingly.”