Anger at town's To Let signs

No planning permission is currently needed to put up the boards

Residents in a Leicestershire town are adamant they will not allow To Let signs take over their neighbourhood.

They say the signs, put up by estate agents in Loughborough, are an eyesore and act as signposts for burglars.

But now, after four years of campaigning, they are claiming a minor victory in the battle.

The signs do not need planning permission, but councillors are now writing to the government to get this changed.

'Wonderful news'

Rosie Peddle, one of the campaigners, chopped 20 of the boards down in March by way of protest - earning herself a police caution.

She said: "This is wonderful news for us - it's the very first positive sign that our concerns are being seriously.

"The concerns of the police, about these houses being a target for burglary are being taken seriously.

"The concerns of the students themselves who live in these houses are being taken seriously too - they don't want these signs any more than we do."

Charnwood Borough Council plans to discuss the issue at a meeting on Thursday.