EXETER residents are  scratching their heads over   the meaning of cycle path  signs in their street.

The blue cycle signs are  in Barton Road, St Thomas,  and appear to be indicating  that the pavement is to be  used as a cycle lane.

Gwen Jones, who lives  there, said: “These do look a  bit confusing. I can only  think that they are there as  a warning for motorists to  be aware of cyclists.

“We used to have signs  on the road — white paint  just on the corners —  showing that there was a cycle  path, but those have not  been replaced since they  resurfaced the road.”

Another local resident,  who did not wish to be  named, said: “These signs  are just confusing. We don’t  have a cycle lane along this  road and we don’t need one  as cyclists use the road anyway. The signs are ridiculous.”

Rob Hannaford, city and  county councillor for St  Thomas is worried the  signs will encourage people  to cycle on the pavement.

He told the Echo: “Dangerous cycling and the misuse of pavements is certainly a hot topic in St  Thomas, and comes up as a  regular complaint from residents, especially in and  around Cowick Street.

 “There is a growing frustration in the community  that there seems to be no  legal enforcement to stop  this problem through issuing fines, and this is made  worse by a huge arrogance  from some cyclists that  pedestrians on pavements  should take second place  even though they should be  actually using the road  themselves.”

Cllr Hannaford added the  blue signs in Barton Road  were a good example of  mixed messages, and were  hard to understand.

He said: “Is this a dual  use area or are they encouraging cyclists to do  some thing illegal?”

Sgt Morris Elphick, in  charge of policing in the  west of the city, said: “We  have stopped a number of  people for inappropriate  cycling on the pavement in  Cowick Street. Most are  compliant and stop.

“As yet we have not issued any fines but you can  receive a £30 fixed penalty  fine for riding on the pavement.”

 A Devon County Council  spokesman said: “The sign  refers to the road not the  footway. It indicates a contra-flow cycle lane, which  means it is one-way for vehicles but both ways for  cyclists, similar to the top  section of Paris Street.

 “If the sign did refer to  the footway it would display the pedestrian symbol,  an adult and child silhouette.”