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Former Spurs captain Ledley King is helping a London council as it removes “No ball games” signs in a campaign to tackle rising childhood obesity rates.

Haringey enlisted the ex-England defender to take down the first sign on an estate near White Hart Lane stadium.

The Labour-run authority is believed to be one of the first in the country to remove the signs. It will continue to remove them — in areas where residents agree — over the next year. It will also ban new signs that deter physical activity.

Peter Morton, Haringey’s cabinet member for health, said the signs sent out the wrong message about active lifestyles. “It’s about saying ‘this is the community we live in, we should enjoy it’,” he said. “The message now is ‘do play, do have fun’.

“Obesity really is a ticking-time bomb for the borough. One in three children, by the time they are 10 or 11, will be overweight or obese in Haringey. We have 230 signs in Haringey. We used to have 231. We are looking to take down a significant number of them, though if it’s a sheltered housing block for elderly people it’s fair enough to keep them.”

The first sign to be removed was on the Stellar House estate in Northumberland Park. King, now a Spurs ambassador, and coaches from Tottenham Hotspur Foundation marked the occasion by holding a coaching session for pupils at nearby Brook House Primary School.

King said: “I remember seeing lots of these signs when I was growing up so I’m pleased to see Haringey has started the process of removing some.

“By taking down these signs, young people will have more space to play sport and stay fit and healthy.”

The council’s drive against obesity also includes limiting the number of fast-food restaurants near schools and the launch of a “sugar smart” phone app that encourages healthy eating.

Last year the council gave financial backing to the Chicken Town restaurant in Tottenham Green, a social enterprise that offers healthier fried chicken at cheap prices.