EXCLUSIVE
By Bernard Matthews
Norfolk Correspondent

Endearing road signs welcoming visitors to Norwich are to be torn down after complaints that nobody could understand a word they said.

Tourism bosses had hoped the signs would portray a warm and humourous side to the city by playing on the local accent and dialect.

One of the disputed Norwich signsSeven of the signs were erected on major routes into the city at a cost of £40,000.

But local business owners say they have made Norwich a laughing stock, and are more likely to drive visitors away rather than attract them.

Graham Ruddy, spokesman for the local retail association, fumed: “If you can’t understand what the sign means, how are you likely to want to visit?

“We simply can not be taken seriously by promoting ourselves as weird hobbit-like people who do not speak English properly.”

Many ordinary Norwich residents love the signs, insisting a bit of quirkiness is good for the city’s reputation. “It’s good to have a sense of humour, hint et?” one pointy-eared resident told the Suffolk Gazette.