Road safety campaigners have slammed the “toxic mentality” of the people who tore down their banners.
Motorists driving into Springholm are usually greeted by signs calling for a lower speed limit and an A75 bypass around the village.
They were put up by Chris Wybrew and Dorothy King but on Monday they noticed they had disappeared, along with a sign thanking NHS staff and key workers.
And Mr Wybrew was shocked to later discover the banners, worth around £100, had been dumped in a nearby burn.
He said: “This action speaks volumes about the toxic mentality underlying the lawless abuse that we continue endure in this un-bypassed trunk road village, with its unfit for purpose speed limit, unfit for purpose traffic calming and absent law enforcement.
“The main banner was well secured to the post and rail fence with six millimetre bolts and steel bars but they evidently used enough force to break a lot of the plywood away, leaving the metal fixing parts.
“Pending a recovery operation when the Culshan Burn’s recent spate subsides, we plan to rapidly deploy a spare banner with its more stark message as a bypass solution is very pertinent to the twin goals of rapid and safer route resilience at this time when the Union Connectivity Report and Strategic Transport Projects Review 2 are on the cusp of final publication.”
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has previously indicated that upgrades to the A75 are likely to be included when the Union Connectivity Report is published.
However, that could lead to a political storm as transport is a matter devolved to the Scottish Parliament.
Mr Wybrew has reported the vandalised signs to the police.
“If anyone has any information relating to this please contact Police Scotland on 101 quoting incident number 2885 of October 25.”
