A local man has received praise from residents for his recent efforts to clean a moss-covered signpost in Ham Common.
Seamus Joyce tackled the stubborn moss and grime on the 12ft signpost using a kitchen scrubber, a ladder and a bucket of soapy water provided by a nearby pub.
A city inspector with Westminster Council, Joyce was between nightshifts when he attempted the task earlier this month. He said that the dirty sign on the busy A307 road “had been winking at me for years”.
His commitment to restoring the sign reflects a larger issue: road signs like this are often overlooked since they are not damaged or defaced with graffiti.
“It’s just dirt,” Joyce said, “but local councils don’t always address it.”
Joyce is not the first to take to social media on the issue of London’s filthy road signs.
Former window cleaner, Liam Wildish, has gained a following on Instagram and TikTok as The Sign Guy (@CleanSceneLondon).
Wildish’s videos, which show him deep cleaning filthy UK road signs in his free time, had gained over 7.2 million likes.
Wildish told the BBC: “It’s really rewarding. Maybe people will think that’s quite sad, but I really like it.”
Joyce has been overwhelmed by the positive response to his cleaning initiative on the community app Nextdoor.
Hundreds of residents called him a “hero” and a “credit to our community” on social media.
Joyce plans to continue his good deeds in the hopes that his actions will motivate others to “just go and do it”.
