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Welsh language campaigners have plastered stickers on council road signs in a protest.

Eighty English only ‘Give Way’ signs across Wrexham county have had the Welsh ‘yield’ instruction ‘Ildiwch’ stuck on them over the weekend.

Aled Powell, chair of the Wrexham branch of the Welsh language group Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg, says the signs should be bilingual and claims they have been put up illegally.

But Wrexham County Borough Council chiefs insists they are older signs which only need to be made bilingual when they are replaced.

Mr Powell said: “Since before Wrexham Council was formed in 1996, there has been a legal duty on each authority in Wales to ensure road signs are in both Welsh and English.

“But when I moved to live in the Wrexham area I noticed one type of sign stood all over the place without any Welsh, like relics of a distant past when some people believed English was the only language of any worth.”

(Image: Trinity Mirror)

He added: “The unique shape of these particular signs means there’s not enough space to place the Welsh word, ‘ildiwch’, beneath the English term, ‘give way’, so Wrexham council had to make an exception to their Welsh language policy.

“But rather than place the Welsh first, the council decided not to put the Welsh at all.

“The council’s Welsh language officer claims the authority had received direction from a higher authority exempting these particular signs from Welsh language legislation.

“I’ve written and asked the Welsh Language Commissioner, the Welsh Government and the Wales Office of the Government in Westminster and not one has been able to confirm the council’s explanation.”

Wrexham council's lead member for communities, partnerships, public protection and community safety Cllr Hugh Jones, said: “We understand that all new or replacement Give Way signs need to be compliant with the Welsh Language Standards – however, the council is not required to immediately replace signs installed prior to the introduction of the Welsh Language Standards in March, 2016, and any such replacements would take place as and when the current signs needed replacing.

“In those instances where signs need replacing due to issues of wear or damage, we will of course ensure any replacements are bilingual, with the Welsh above the English.”

It comes as the local authority was recently criticised by the Welsh Language Commissioner Meri Huws for displaying Welsh signs with errors.

Fourteen complaints from members of the public were received by the Commissioner, five of which were not considered valid.

They also included about signs which were only in English on the doors of the former People’s Market and Welsh text being displayed underneath English on a sign below a Christmas tree in Wrexham.

(Image: Mark Williams)

Ms Huws has taken enforcement action to ensure any text displayed on signs put up are shown correctly in Welsh.

She has also ordered the council to ensure Welsh wording is not treated less favourably than English.

The Commissioners report will be considered by members of the council's customers, performance, resources and governance scrutiny committee tomorrow, November 28.

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