Jeremy Clarkson in attack on Northampton
Top Gear star Jeremy Clarkson has ridiculed Northampton's roads, claiming the town's street signs are so useless they could have been written by four-year-olds.
The motoring nut made the comments in a blog on the Top Gear website where he said he tried to avoid the town at all costs because its road signs made it "biblically awful".
He said: "Usually, when I go to Norfolk, I go through Northampton, but as this is the worst signposted city in the world I've given up... Northampton is biblically awful.
"Either the signposts were written by someone who was being deliberately stupid, or it was a school project for four-year-olds.
"The signs on half the roundabouts talk only about local roads and industrial estates, not other towns and cities.
"So you almost always end up, whether you like it or not, in Kettering, which is famous for absolutely nothing at all, or Wellingborough, which is famous for being nowhere near where you're going."
But motorists in Northampton have hit back, claiming the town's signs are not as bad as Mr Clarkson is painting them.
Bill Rhoades, chairman of Northants Roadar, the Rospa-affiliated advanced riders and drivers association, said: "I think signs in Northampton are about 80 per cent okay.
"There are some that are misleading and some road markings need repairing to make them more visible.
"But as for how they're written, I think Jeremy Clarkson needs to go to school and learn how to read English."
Road experts from Northamptonshire County Council encouraged the motoring expert to contact them if he had any suggestions on how to improve the town's signs.
A spokesman for the authority said: "Mr Clarkson is obviously entitled to his opinion and we welcome his feedback.
"We would encourage him, as we would anyone else who has concerns about the county's highways, to contact the Street Doctor service on 0845 6011113."
This is not the first time street signs in Northamptonshire have courted controversy.
In February last year, council officials confirmed they were looking at translating them into Polish to help drivers from Eastern Europe but, following a public backlash, the scheme was scrapped.
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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