BLUNDERING highways workers have repainted 'Keep Clear' signs along the side of Worcester's old fire station - despite the site being empty for more than a YEAR.

The bungling officials have been described as "blithering idiots" by a bemused Worcester councillor, who says the public will find it "incredible".

Worcestershire County Council, which has a deal with contractor Ringway for re-painting fading lines, has called the situation "unfortunate".

In May last year fire crews finally moved from their old Copenhagen Street HQ to a new base off Tolladine Road, making their well-known landmark of 70 years redundant.

The building, seen by thousands of drivers every day heading past Deansway, has since been sold to developers under a multi-million pound deal.

The old 'Keep Clear' signs were designed to stop drivers blocking the path of fire engines roaring out the side of the building.

They had become worn out in recent years, but have now inexplicably been given a complete re-painting.

Worcestershire County Council has called the project "unfortunate" and says the work was done by contractors who will now not pass on a bill.

But Cllr Simon Cronin said: "I walked through Copenhagen Street and couldn't quite believe what I was seeing.

"Some blithering idiots have repainted all the signs so you can now see very clearly 'Keep Clear' all the way along in white paint.

"Have these people really got nothing better to do than keep access clear to an empty building?

"It's all so someone sat in an office, who hasn't got a view of the world past the outside of their own window, can say they've achieved something that day.

"It speaks volumes of the people running these services and their imagination, what a complete waste of time."

Council bosses say they have agreed a system aimed at getting lines repainted quicker than before.

Jon Fraser, head of highways at the county council, said: "The deal we've got with Ringway is a system where if white lines are faded, rather than wait until it causes problems, they go and do the job there and then.

"Lots of really good white line replacement programmes have been done in Worcester city centre through this procedure, it actually works really well.

"What's happened here is that someone has seen the lines fading and has done them again.

"Because it's the side of the old fire station you could argue it's not needed, it is unfortunate - there won't be a bill for the work.

"But generally, as a whole the current system is very efficient and works well."