AN OSWALDTWISTLE business has been fined £600 for putting up an advertising board close to a dangerous junction without permission.

Hyndburn Magistrates heard that B and M Furniture, based in Vine Mill, repeatedly ignored requests from Hyndburn Council to remove the advertisement, which was on a trailer in a field in Lottice Lane, near junction five of the M65.

The firm pleaded guilty to putting up the advertisement without consent and as well as being fined were ordered to pay £350 court costs.

Gordon McMillan, the council's solicitor, told the court that the firm had put the trailer advert up without planning permission.

After being sent several letters asking for it to be removed the firm applied for retrospective planning permission, but that was refused.

Magistrates heard the firm was again told to remove it and was warned it could be prosecuted.

Tarpaulin was put over the sign by B and M Furniture, but it was still not removed and the council decided to take the matter to court.

Mr McMillan said: "What made this necessary was the number of chances given to rectify the situation, which were repeatedly ignored."

He added the sign was also close to the dangerous Britannia junction.

Bernard Horne, defending, apologised to the court on behalf of the firm's director Bill Margison.

Mr Horne said: "Following the initial concerns about the sign, while he didn't have direct contact with the enforcement officer, he contacted legal advisors to apply for planning permission. So he was taking the concerns seriously.

"It was after permission was refused that he got himself into some difficulties. He couldn't physically get the trailer moved.

"Initially his idea was to cover it up while he could make those arrangements, but the tarpaulin fell off."

Mr Horne told magistrates arrangements were made to get a tractor on to the field to remove the trailer, but bad weather led to a delay in getting it moved.

This is the first prosecution of its kind in East Lancashire since the Campaign to Protect Rural England launched a campaign to end the spread of advertising in roadside fields.

The CPRE claims that they deface the countryside and threaten safety.