HEADINGTON residents and a councillor are angry about “tacky” council signs that have appeared in the area, including one at a park.

The Oxford City Council signs were put outside Bury Knowle Park, Headington Hill and London Road a week ago.

They ask for private landlords to rent their properties through the authority to find homes for city families.

London Road’s Jill Cummings said: “I hope the signs disappear as quickly as they came.

“Once other people see the signs they will get ideas and it will look awful.

“The signs look very tacky and like they were knocked up in someone’s bedroom.”

Rosemary Belton, of Friends of Bury Knowle Park, said: “The signs appeared totally out of the blue and they are certainly not suitable for the park. I am quite cross that the city council put the signs up without any consultation with us.”

Oxfordshire County Council member for Headington and Quarry Roz Smith said: “It just looks awful and is another example of lack of communication (by consulting local people) by the city council.”

City council spokeswoman Louisa Dean said the signs were providing vital help to ease a shortage of housing.

She said: “We are pleased that people are talking about this campaign.

“In the two days after it was launched, we had two potential leads for properties to be let through the city council which is fantastic news.

"With over 4,600 households in Oxford looking for an affordable home, and the costs of renting or buying privately very high, the council needs to boost the private rental sector as part of the solution to finding a decent home for local families.

“This is giving more choice to landlords to boost the local economy which provides landlords with a long-term stable income stream.”