Highways bosses are replacing metal road signs with plastic alternatives in an attempt to thwart scrap thieves.

Essex County Council has already swapped 2,500 high-value metal signs for glass-reinforced polyester versions.

The low-value material does not degrade when exposed to the elements and is sturdy, the council said. Norman Hume, cabinet member for highways and transportation, said: "We are going through times when the value of all commodities, including scrap metal, is particularly high and it's leading quite literally to highway robbery.

"After a spate of thefts a couple of years ago, we started to work with our contractors to replace our signage where possible with this new low value, nonrecyclable material."

He added: "With more than 70,000 signs on our highway network across Essex, it is not economically feasible to replace these signs all at once but we are making steady progress."

The council is also adding securing hinges to manhole covers in a further bid to prevent theft.

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