Sec 131, Subsection (2), Highways Act 1980:
"If a person without lawful authority or excuse pulls down or obliterates a traffic sign placed on or over a highway, or a milestone or direction post (not being a traffic sign), he is guilty of an offence; but it is a defence in any proceedings under this section to show that the traffic sign, milestone or post was not lawfully so placed".
Legal Note: The defence merely has to prove the 'unlawful placing' of a traffic sign 'on the balance of probablities' i.e. 50.01 % to 49.99 %
Specualtion: If and when the government ever succeed in passing legislation to enforce kilometres on British road signs, what will happen to the above legislation governing milestones?
Observation: Apart from bridge height and road width signs, all metric signs on British highways are unalwful and may therefore be 'pulled down or obliterated' (sic. i.e. the *sign* not just the *distance* can be obliterated). Anyone game for a demonstration, to be recorded on camera of course, of 'obliterating' an illegal metric sign? And does anyone have any suggestions as to the best method of 'obliteration'?
Tony Bennett
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