A company has been told to remove 12 "rogue" advertising columns which have appeared across the district without planning permission.

They come in the wake of a £80,000 scheme by French firm JC Decaux, which installed 70 city-centre structures with full planning approval.

JC Decaux also agreed a deal with the authority where it gave free space for Bradford Council promotions.

But the Lincolnshire company which has brought in the similar columns in a different colour could face fines of up to £1,000 or hefty bills if the Council decide to tear them down.

Today planning enforcement officers were inspecting the signs, which have sprung up over the past two weeks.

The columns are being wired up for lighting and some already carry posters. The seven-foot structures are in Sticker Lane, Shiddles Lane, Great Horton Road, Killinghall Road, Manningham Lane, Crossflatts and Riddlesden.

The officers will decide whether to take action under the Town and Country Planning Act or Highways Act, depending on whether they are on private land or adopted roads. They say Barrett, Petrie and Sutcliffe Ltd faces action because it did not apply for advertisement consent.

If the structures are on private property the landowner can be taken to court as well as the company and fined up to £1,000, with a penalty of £1,000 for every day the structure remained.

If the columns are on adopted roads the company can be given 28 days to pull them down or ordered to pay the bill if the authority does the work.

The company has now put in a retrospective planning application for a column on Shiddles Lane, Bradford.

Councillor Jean Ellison said two structures affected the visibility of drivers in an area where a pedestrian had died after being knocked down last year.

Coun Ellison (Lab, Great Horton) said: "I am really annoyed about this, particularly in a sensitive area where there has been a tragedy."

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