Bus company bosses say they turned down a request to fix safety signs onto their vehicles because they would confuse motorists outside of the Sid Valley area.

The Herald reported this month how Stagecoach officials had refused a bid by Sidmouth police to attach notices to the rear of buses serving the town.

The proposed signs would have reminded motorists it is an offence to round the ‘keep left’ bollard at the top of Stowford Rise. Residents in the area have been campaigning for three years to improve safety at a pedestrian crossing near Waitrose, which is sandwiched between two bus stops.

Stagecoach has this week explained its reasoning behind the refusal. A spokesperson said: “We believe it would be far more effective for any ‘keep left of the bollards’ signage to be located at Stowford Rise , rather than on the rear of our buses. These buses cover a much wider area than just Stowford Rise, therefore the vinyls would be irrelevant outside of the immediate area and confusing for the majority of drivers.”