Having refused to remove unauthorised signs from the streets of York, York Magistrates have ordered a Lincolnshire firm of roofers to pay a total £4,589.04.
In late November 2025, City of York Council officers spotted signs appearing around the city advertising Bastfix Roofing and Gutters Ltd.
The signs appeared in a number of locations including on signposts and railings, and appeared on York streets including Stockton Lane and Clifton Moorgate.
The signs were illegal as they posed a risk to drivers by creating a distraction, by obstructing visibility and important information, as well as creating a hazard when being installed and removed.
The Council emailed Bastfix Roofing requiring the signs to be removed within seven days. Officers also wrote to the registered address in Spalding, Lincolnshire, and to a local office, allegedly based on Malton Road, York.
The signs were not removed. The Council called the landline displayed on the company’s fly posters. A representative of the business said he would not remove the signs as he felt the law was “unfair”.
The Council sent reminders to the company by email and in writing, extending the deadline for removal a little, to allow for the Christmas period.
In January 2026 the signs were still in place and so were removed by the Council. Fixed penalty notices of £500 were issued for each of the three offences.
The fines weren’t paid, so the company was interviewed under caution by letter. No response was received and the case went to court on Thursday 8 July at York Magistrates Court. No-one from BastFix attended, and the company was found guilty of fly-posting.
The court fined BastFix £2,500, ordered it to pay costs of £1,089.04 and a surcharge of £1,000, totalling £4,589.04.
Cllr Jenny Kent, Executive Member for Environment at City of York Council, said:
Posting any sign to the highway without consent is a criminal offence. The court has taken this seriously with the scale of fine. Fly-posting is dangerous as it can cause distraction to road users, obstructs visibility and can obscure important information, as well as creating a hazard during installation and removal.
“Anyone wanting to put up signs on Council land or property should apply at: www.york.gov.uk/AdvertisementPlanningPermission. To report unauthorised signage, please visit: https://www.york.gov.uk/Flyposting.”