MOTORISTS and residents in Kidderminster thought they were being treated to a late April Fool's joke - after street signs went up in Welsh.

They were left perplexed by temporary signs which, instead of proclaiming simple instructions such as "no parking" and "road resurfacing", read "dim parcio" and "rhoiwyneb newydd ary fford".

The signs, which had the English translation beneath, went up in the roads around Holman Street, which was undergoing resurfacing work on Saturday.

Highway boss, Andy Broome, said they were put up by a contractor more accustomed to life across the border but were, admittedly, "confusing".

Mr Broome, acting manager of Wyre Forest Highways Partnership Unit at Worcestershire County Council, said he would talk to the contractors to make sure all parties were literally speaking the same language.

He explained: "Obviously the contractor does a lot of work in Wales and they are quite prescriptive, I believe, in having signs in both languages.

"We are far enough from Wales not to need them. It is obvious contractors will only carry a certain number of temporary signs and he is obviously trying to get greater use by using them in England as well as Wales."

He said the English translation was the "saving grace" but "we are having a word with them to see if they have signs solely in English because they are confusing people".

The signs could not have found a worse audience. A member of the Liberal Party, whose members are never afraid to attack the county council, spotted the mysterious messages while out delivering leaflets for next month's county elections.

Liberal activist, Mike Price, said: "Dim Parcio? Dim county council more likely.

"Just for a moment, we thought we must have got the date wrong and that it was still April Fool's Day. Either that or the Welsh had invaded and made substantial territorial gains overnight!

"This is really not good enough and one expects the county council and their contractors to at least put up signs in the right language."

Mr Price, who intends to stand at the elections, went on: "We have often thought that the county council don't know what planet they are on. Now, at least, we have the proof that they really do not know which country they are in!"