A SIGN erected outside the Halfway House in Grenofen, put up by residents upset by people speeding through the area, has been taken down. The erection of the sign followed a protest held at the beginning of May to highlight that 61 incidents had occurred on the long stretch of road in seven years, ranging from serious road traffic accidents to minor shunts. Concerned resident Clive Pattison, landlord of the Halfway House, put up the sign to warn drivers of their speed. He said speeding was a major problem and residents wanted to make drivers think about how fast they were going. 'The sign was only up for two weeks when I was told by West Devon Borough Council to remove it. According to them it was illegal advertising. 'In the two weeks it was on display speeds reduced and we had no incidents whatsoever. 'Within an hour of taking it down there was a vehicle indicating to turn in to the pub and a van overtook it.' He added that the sign may resurface outside other properties on the road. He said: 'It did its job — people did notice it.' A spokesman for West Devon Borough Council said: 'While we appreciate the good intentions of Mr Pattison, the council has a duty to make sure roadside signs comply with national rules and do not cause a hazard by distracting motorists. 'The signage put up at his pub in Grenofen was particularly large and needed advertisement consent. 'We wrote to Mr Pattison asking for the sign to be taken down and invited him to make an official application if he wanted to retain or re-erect the sign. 'We have not yet received an application.'