Vandals attack more than 150 20mph speed limit signs in Wales

More than 150 speed limit signs in Wales have been attacked by vandals since Labour introduced its blanket 20mph speed limit.

Vigilante motorists have been tearing down 20mph signs after Mark Drakeford’s Welsh government introduced the reduced limit in September.

The reduction was met with widespread opposition and more than 469,000 people so far have signed a petition on the Welsh Assembly website calling for it to be revoked.

Natasha Asghar, a Conservative transport minister, said: “No matter how the Labour Government try to spin it, people will never accept the barmy 20mph speed limit project.”

Ms Asghar said she did not condone vandalism but the incidents make it clear that the public has rejected the 20mph limit.

Across Gwent, councils have recorded 145 incidents of vandalism to 20mph signs since September.

Carmarthenshire county council said it was becoming “increasingly concerned” after what it described as “a spate of incidents” directed at road signs.

A 20mph sign in the county was snapped in half and others have been sprayed in black paint to hide the 20 figures, it said.

Cllr Edward Thomas, Carmarthenshire’s cabinet member for transport, said attacks on signs were a “serious act of vandalism”, which presented “a significant risk to life”.

He added: “The absence of warning signs could contribute to a road traffic collision.

“Not only is the illegal removal of these signs dangerous and irresponsible to road users, but replacing these signs will come at a significant cost to the local authority – placing more strain on the public purse.”

Similarly, Monmouthshire council said it had recorded 22 incidents of vandalism to its 20mph signs over the past six months.

The Welsh Government provided £34 million to Wales’s 22 local councils for new signs required to alert drivers of the speed limit.

All councils said funding for new signs was also intended to cover anticipated repair costs.

Gwent Police figures show two recorded incidents of vandalism to speed signs since September, with one person arrested and charged.

Lee Waters, the Welsh Government minister behind the 20mph rollout, announced his resignation as transport secretary last week.

Reflecting on the level of public dislike for the scheme, he wrote on X, formally Twitter: “When I leave my transport role in a fortnight, I’ll be deleting my account. Elon can shove it up his X. I now get a pile of malign comments for even the most innocuous posts.”

The Welsh Government said 97 per cent of motorists are complying with the reduced limit, adding that it is intended to lead to fewer traffic accidents, injuries and deaths.