ARTISTS felt they were given the brush off after Highways Agency employees removed signs from the A35 advertising Dorset Art Weeks.

The organisers of the countywide event said exhibitors were furious about the removal of the signs and were told they would have to travel to agency offices in Exeter to get them back.

The agency has responded by pointing out that the signs were put up illegally and posed a potentially dangerous distraction for motorists.

Some art week exhibitors, including digital media artist Ronnie Creswell, are now working around the problem by standing at the roadside holding the signs.

Mrs Creswell, 61, of Gibbs Lane, Morcombelake, near Bridport, said: "We didn't even know who was removing the signs at first.

"I'm very disappointed and angry and feel this is a particularly annoying piece of bureaucracy."

She added that the roadside signs might even help prevent problems for motorists.

Painter Barbara Green, 69, of Taylor's Lane, Morcombelake, said: "It does make things very awkward for us because drivers are going by looking for the signs and not knowing where to turn."

A spokesman for Dorset Art Weeks said: "Since the event began in 1992 exhibitors have been displaying directions to their open studios along the trunk road between Poole and Devon but the Highways Agency now argues that the signs are illegal and must be taken down."

The spokesman added that organisers feared removing the signs would have a devastating effect' on the local economy, claiming the 2006 event generated sales of £1.1 million.

They added that market research conducted by Bournemouth University into the 2004 event estimated it contributed £2.7 million to Dorset's economy and created the equivalent of 41 full-time jobs.

A spokesman for the Highways Agency said: "It may sound petty to some but removing these signs is an important safety issue.

"They are illegal and are another potentially dangerous distraction for drivers."

The spokesman added that the maximum penalty for placing a sign at the roadside illegally was a £100 fine but that the agency would not be pursuing convictions in this case.

Dorset Art Weeks runs until June 8 and showcases the work of over 800 artists, and craftsmen.