Calls have been made for traffic agencies to alter an ‘embarrassing’ road sign that has given motorists a good laugh as they drive over the County Durham/Cumbria border.

Some drivers that have travelled down the A689 towards the two county borders may have spotted a ‘Welcome to Cumbria’ piece of signage – apart from not all the letters are there.

Instead of being complete, the sign, which is just up from Killhope Mining Museum, simply reads ‘Welcome to Cum’ – which has sparked some imaginative responses from people in the world of social media.

Read more: Road signs get Thirsk wrong with awkward typo in North Yorkshire name

Taking to Facebook, some people have been laughing at the glaring mistake, which has been caused by letters falling off and fading, by saying: “I dread to even think what they’re doing up the road,” while another person added: “This is a rather unfortunate and embarrassing mistake – someone hasn’t been keeping track of the signs”.

While the sign has been pointed out by members of the public, the issue will now have to be rectified – with Durham County Council Mark Wilkes even getting involved in asking the sign to be changed, with Cllr Wilkes adding: “I think our friends over the border in Cumbria might want to update their signage. A689 County Durham/Cumbria border.”

This isn’t the first time that signs have caused some confusion and humour for drivers in the North of England, after residents in Thirsk were left astonished that signs in the town were still wrong after several years, despite a local authority's plans to replace them.

The North Yorkshire town had been misspelt on two road signs – and actually appeared as “Thrisk”.

The signs, which can be found just outside York’s Bar Walls, one in Jewbury Close to Monk Bar and the other on Foss Island Road, also direct people to Harrogate and Scarborough.

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