Prank puts lives at risk in Honiton

Offenders put the lives of police officers at risk by tampering with road signs on a blind bend near Honiton.

The culprits dragged two large temporary triangular warning signs and sandbags into the middle of the A30 near Yarcombe in the early hours of Saturday (2 March).

The signs had been by the side of the road on a blind bend in a wooded area at Hilltop.

A police unit and ambulance on a 999 call to help a person with medical difficulties had to take emergency action to avoid a collision.

Sergeant Richard Poole, of Honiton police station, said the signs had been deliberately moved into the middle of the road to cause a collision.

“This idiotic and ludricous action very nearly had devastating consequences, not just where it happened but for the person we were on the way to assist,” he said.

“Whoever did this obviously has no idea of the potential consequences of their actions. I hope that we can identify them before it happens again and we end up with somebody seriously injured or worse.”

Anyone with any information is urged to contact Devon and Cornwall Police on 101, quoting crime reference number KH/13/165.