A DUP MLA has hit out at Sinn Féin-banded Irish-language signs advising drivers to slow down, saying they are "intimidatory" to unionists.
Brian Kingston took issue with the signs - which include a Sinn Féin logo, the word "slow" and the Irish translation "go mall" - being placed in a "mixed" residential area of North Belfast.
He claimed the red diamond-shaped signs are "illegal and political" and has contacted roads officials in Stormont's Department for Infrastructure as a "matter of urgency".
Read more: Bilingual signs vandalised 300 times in five years costing councils almost £40,000
Posting an image of one of the signs attached to a tree, Mr Kingston tweeted: "I have contacted DfI Roads Service re these signs erected by Sinn Féin in Deerpark and Oldpark Road area.
"This is a mixed area and these illegal and political signs are considered intimidatory by unionist residents.
"I have asked that they be removed by the dept as a matter of urgency."
The North Belfast MLA's post attracted criticism from many Twitter users, who questioned how the bilingual signs could be considered intimidating and expressed support for the Irish language.
The Department for Infrastructure, which is headed by Sinn Féin minister John O'Dowd, said: "The department can confirm that correspondence has been received from Brian Kingston MLA. The matter is under consideration by DfI Roads."
Sinn Féin defended the signs and hit out at the DUP blocking the restoration of Stormont power-sharing in protest over Brexit's Northern Ireland Protocol.
A Sinn Féin spokesman said: "We are dismayed that at a time when Mr Kingston's party has walked away from the Assembly, the Executive and its responsibilities to support workers and families during a cost-of-living crisis and tackle growing hospital lists that he is exercised about signs placed by local road safety campaigners clearly designed to save lives.
"Sinn Féin along with local residents have been calling for road safety measures in the Oldpark area consistently and if these signs help save one child's life then this is a worthwhile intervention."
In a further statement about his tweet, Mr Kingston accused Sinn Féin of a "transparent attempt to hijack road safety for party politicking".
He continued: "Sinn Féin will also have been perfectly aware that the inclusion of dual language on the signs is also going to have added a further political dimension."
He said attaching signs to trees without a decision-making process "isn't the way to improve road safety", adding: "Indeed, badly placed signs could only make visibility worse and exacerbate problems."
According to laws in Northern Ireland, people are prohibited from affixing signs to street furniture including trees "without lawful authority" and could face a fine.
Details of the rules under the Roads Order (NI) 1993 were outlined in a long-delayed Stormont report aimed at addressing cultural disputes including flags on lampposts.
The £800,000 report from the Commission on Flags, Identity, Culture and Tradition was published last December.
But it failed to find consensus on changing legislation around the flying of flags from lampposts and no action plan was agreed on implementing any of its recommendations.
Figures obtained in January by Belfast Live showed that bilingual signs have been vandalised more than 300 times in the past five years at a cost to council ratepayers of almost £40,000.
Read more: Bilingual signs vandalised 300 times in five years costing councils almost £40,000
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