A “HARMLESS” church sign will be removed from a vicarage by Southend Council, despite having been in place for a decade.

The thousand-year-old St Laurence and All Saints Church, on Eastwoodbury Lane, is at war with council officers, who are set to tear down the sign tomorrow.

Religious leaders and councillors are scratching their heads at the demands after being told the sign is breaking planning rules.

The sign sits inside a “two foot square” of council land, which is situated on the Church of England owned property.

It was previously an empty white canvas until information about the church was added in August.

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A furious Reverend Kingsley Yeboah, said: “It’s appalling, and it’s really frustrating. We decided to put information on the sign, as it’s important for the community to know what’s going on at the church.

“The council has been hassling us since August, they’re really going for us. Surely they’ve got something better to do with their time?”

A letter was sent on September 29 outlining the council’s intentions to remove the sign if Rev Yeboah fails to do so.

He is currently refusing to remove the sign.

David McGlone, Tory councillor of the St Laurence ward, added: “It’s ridiculous, the sign is totally harmless. It’s bureaucracy gone mad. Who is getting upset about a church sign?

“I can’t see a problem with the sign being there. It’s just two feet of council land that they’re getting annoyed about.

“The council needs to back down and leave the church alone.”

Ron Woodley, deputy leader at Southend Council, said: “Unfortunately the large sign board at All Saints Church has been erected on public highway without permission.

“It also has scaffold poles driven into the ground close to an illuminated sign and a lamp column. These will likely be close to underground cables and could be potentially dangerous. It is for these reasons the council is requesting the sign be removed.”