been told by the Planning Department that his restaurant's signs are illegal.

We sympathise with the owner when he says he cannot understand why he has a problem now since planning officers visited him in January but did not complain about his signs. We are also concerned because he says planning officers have told him that they are acting on a complaint when we think there should be no need for someone to complain before Planning acts on signs.

It might appear that Planning officers who visited Mr. Marico Thomas' restaurant in January were not well versed in the law as it applies to signs and thus allowed him to continue with illegal signs. It seems to us that Planning should not be waiting for complaints before it acts on illegal signs.

Sign laws should be made clear to new businesses when planning permission is granted.

The fact is that the pizza parlour owner seems to have contravened Bermuda's sign laws. It really is up to individual owners, just as it is up to any member of the public, to be sure that they do not break the law when they erect signs. It is no secret that Bermuda has fairly strict laws governing the use of signs of all types. The fact that it has those laws and that the countryside, as well as Hamilton and St. George's are not desecrated by signs is one of the most unique and attractive things about Bermuda.

We know that the Corporation of Hamilton is in the process of looking at laws as they apply to signs and any changes may well present an opportunity to publicise the laws.

We think that the sign laws are ignored too often and that they ought to be enforced much more stringently. The sign laws have a very real protective purpose and without them Bermuda might well be a much less attractive place.

Bermudians like Bermuda to keep its image and they have to work to protect that image. One of the easier ways to keep Bermuda's overall "look'' is to hold the line on signs.

We accept the fact that some illegal signs and awnings are used by people who do not know the law and because of that we suggest that information on the law as it applies to signs and the city regulations as they apply to signs should be made available when planning permission is granted. If that is done, no pizza parlour owner will be able to say again, "I just seem to have been picked out.'' Periodically there is a problem with signs and we think the regulations could easily be publicised on a regular basis, especially it seems to the members of the Planning Department.

However, we think the real answer lies in sign painters. Sign painters should advise clients on the law as it applies to signs and guide them inside the regulations. Since the owner of the sign commits the offence, maybe people having signs painted should be careful to patronise painters who follow the law. There are not so many sign painters and it could be made clear to them that they should not paint or erect illegal signs.

Mr. Marico Thomas says he spent $1,000 on his signs and it is going to cost him "hundreds of dollars'' to take them down. We think he may well have a real gripe with his sign painter.

The fact remains that the signs are covered by laws which have a real purpose, protecting Bermuda's image, and those laws should be enforced.