BUSINESSES in a popular tourism town are concerned brown tourism signs pointing them out to visitors may be permanently removed.

The Highways Agency removed the brown tourism signs pointing out Masham, near Ripon, North Yorkshire, as part of works to the A1.

Local tourism bosses fear the signs between Dishforth and Leeming will not be replaced once the work is completed.

The town boasts several tourism attractions like Black Sheep Brewery and the Keep Masham on the Map scheme has been set up to have the signs erected again.

A Black Sheep Brewery spokesman said: "We are very concerned about the possibility they might not be put back.

"A lot of our trade comes from passing motorists and an estimated 50,000 people go through our visitor centre yearly.

"If the signs are not there people might not know how to get to us and could go elsewhere instead."

Julian Smith, the Conservative MP for Skipton and Ripon, is backing the fight.

He said: "They have taken down the brown signs on the A1 and the local community is hearing that they won’t be put up.

"The signs encourage tourists and business people to visit Masham.

"Masham has a large number of tourist businesses and I believe the Highways Agency needs to be more responsible as these signs have major benefits.

"In difficult economic times, we should be doing all we can to direct tourists to attractions like Masham."

Mr Smith, local tourism providers and the Highways Agency are to meet at Masham Town Hall on Friday, November 5, at 1.30pm to discuss the issue.

A Highways Agency spokesman said: "As part of the A1 motorway upgrade scheme, a number of signs were removed to allow construction work.

"Once the motorway is complete, any replacement road signs would have to comply with the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2002.

"Under the regulations, some brown tourist signs on the motorway are permitted for directions to specific tourist attractions, but there are a number of strict criteria that would have to be met.

"These include whether the attraction qualifies as a tourist destination and whether it attracts a certain number of visitors each year.

"If an application for such a sign was submitted, it would be considered against the criteria and in discussion with the local authority."