Spoof street sign to be removed

Bristol City Council says the sign would be removed shortly

Motorists on a busy commuter route into Bristol were surprised to see a more exotic destination on a street sign.

Underneath the more familiar routes to Bath, Avonmouth and Bristol Airport one of the signs has been altered showing the distance to Timbuktu as 2384 miles.

A Bristol City Council spokeswoman said the sign was a spoof and would be removed shortly.

"Very amusing that it is... it isn't making the road any safer. We're not killjoys but signs should be clear."

The distance shown on the sign is about right for Timbuktu in Mali, Western Africa, but the council spokeswoman said it was not helping road safety

"We need the signs to be clear. Timbuktu isn't that," the council spokeswoman added.

BBC reporter Scott Ellis saw the sign on Wednesday morning. He said it was definitely a double-take moment.

"I was only on my way to Bedminster but it was good to know I was getting nearer to Timbuktu as well."