YORK has the finest streets in England. So why do we obscure them behind so much modern flotsam and jetsam?

Some of our most beautiful buildings can only be viewed through a nest of poles and signs.

This municipal mess reflects the mania for regulating every aspect of our lives. Don't park here; speed humps for 50 yards; turn left, turn right, no turning.

Then there is the commercial clutter. That collection of ghost walk signs does little to enhance our enjoyment of All Saints Church, for instance.

We applaud York Business Pride's determination to tackle this menace. Perhaps the time of the signs is almost over.

Updated: 11:21 Monday, February 07, 2005