Staunch Brexiteer, 82, travels 2,000 miles around UK removing ‘hated’ EU-friendly roadsigns

A staunch Brexiteer and Ukip supporter spends his time travelling the country to remove the “hated” EU metric road signs – at the grand old age of 82.

Retired TV and radio repair man Derek Norman was absolutely furious when he discovered EU plans to turn the country “completely metric” ahead of Britain’s expected accession into the Eurozone.

He began his campaign to remove the signs in 2000 while working as an agent for then Ukip leader Jeffrey Titford.

He has since changed or removed nearly 2,000 road signs to date, after founding the Active Resistance to Metrication movement.

His resistance group carries step ladders and wears yellow jackets and helmets when they removed signs.

Explaining his fury, Mr Norman, of Huntingdon, Cambs said: “I was an electrical engineer and I was quite happy to use metric units for physics, chemistry and science but I do not see why they should make our everyday life metric.

“If you buy a loaf of bread why does it have to be in metric? So from that point we were opposed to it.

“We also found out that they (local councils) were going to change all the road signs in the country illegally.

“We saw a solicitor and he went through all the road regulations and found that it wasn’t legal to put up metric signs.”

Mr Norman claims his actions are legal because the signs metric traffic regulations from 1994 state state distance signs must only be in miles and yards.

He explained: “Because they were illegal you didn’t need to be a council official to remove them so long as you told the council where you’d put them.”

Mr Norman who lives with his wife Kay, 74, hasn’t given up removing signs yet and is planning to target one in Essex when the weather improves.

Top pic: SWNS