Little Britain fans 'steal road signs'

Fans of the cult BBC1 comedy series Little Britain are under suspicion following the mysterious disappearance of three road signs from a Welsh village

14:18 02 January 2005

Fans of the cult BBC1 comedy series Little Britain are under suspicion following the mysterious disappearance of three road signs from a Welsh village.

Llanddewi Brefi is home to the show's popular character Dafydd, "the only gay in the village" and police are now investigating the disappearance of road signs from the mid-Wales community.

Locals say that the popular TV show has caused tourists to flock to the village, near Tregaron in Ceredigion, with many fans having had their photo taken next to the missing road signs.

Reports suggest that one cast iron sign went missing around three months ago, with two more signs having disappeared in the weekend before Christmas.

Owner of the village store and post office, Neil Driver said: "There were a few tourists in the town that weekend and as usual they were having their photographs taken by the road signs.

"It wasn't until the Monday that someone came into the shop and said the signs, at both ends of the village, were missing."

Mr Driver, who sells souvenir t-shirts carrying the slogan: 'Dafydd isn't the only gay in the village' said sales had "gone through the roof" since the start of the second Little Britain series.

Meanwhile, the landlady of Llanddewi Brefi's pub has challenged the show's creators to visit the village and replace the stolen signs.

"I think Matt Lucas and David Walliams should visit Llanddewi and erect new signs for us," said Yvonne Edwards of the New Inn pub.

"They'll receive a warm welcome and I think it's the least they could do."

The Little Britain creators were recently forced to make changes to one of their comedy sketches after threats of legal action by the Women's Institute.