Vandalism is a shamefully common sight in modern Britain - whether it's graffiti, defacement, or general destruction, you can scarcely turn a corner these days without spotting some sort of pointless destruction.
But as unsightly as smashed-up bus shelters and spray-painted walls are, there's one particularly deplorable form of vandalism on which we'd like to focus: the defacement of safety signs. This appears to be something of a trend at the moment, and it's very worrying - people are rendering signs almost illegible, with no apparent consideration of the potential consequences.
This story from Inverclyde Now is a good example. Vandals have been defacing, damaging, and even stealing signs from several reservoirs in the Inverclyde area, and while such acts would be foolish and juvenile enough without the health and safety implications, the truly frightening part is just how important these signs and their messages are.
One such sign - given as an example in the IN article - reads:
"BE AWARE! Deaths have occurred at reservoirs"
The sign then goes on to list some of the dangers associated with reservoirs, such as deep water and steep, hidden embankments. Signs like these are designed to make people aware of potentially life-threatening hazards, and by removing/defacing these signs, vandals are sharply increasing the likelihood of a serious accident.
This problem isn't limited to Scottish reservoirs, either; it's happening all over the country. We recently read of some No Entry signs in Liverpool that had been removed by vandals, making the nature of the one-way street far less obvious to motorists. This is obviously a huge crash risk, and the signs will now have to be replaced using taxpayer money.
Authorities are urging vandals to consider the consequences of their actions and stop defacing important signs such as those mentioned above. If you ever see anybody vandalising or removing a safety sign, please report it to the police as a matter of urgency - you never know whose life you might save!
