Plastic sheep penned in (From The Argus)

Plastic sheep penned in

6:40pm Thursday 8th December 2011 in News By Bill Gardner

These baa-rmy green troublemakers have been banged up for baffling motorists.

Council bosses penned in the plastic sheep on the Shoreham A27 roundabout over fears they might leave drivers in a spin.

Frantic callers to the council thought real green sheep were wandering across the busy roundabout.

A spokeswoman for West Sussex County Council said: “They were painted bright green so that they were not mistaken for the real thing.

“However, because some motorists have expressed concerns that the sheep are real we have put temporary roadwork barriers around them.”

Visitors flocked to The Argus website to express their outrage at some drivers’ woolly thinking.

OldLadysGin bleated: “I think the sheep are great and anyone who is surprised by them to the extent it would upset their driving should get out more.”

But some sheepish visitors admitted they had been duped by the plastic models.

Mart2a said: “Saw them early Saturday morning at 6am in the headlights as I approached the roundabout, must admit they made me jump and brake.”

When the flock of woolly munchers first appeared under the flyover on November 24 confused local councillors said they had no idea where they had come from.

The Argus launched a search for the mystery shepherds responsible.

Suspicious readers ‘grassed up’ workmen sending in pictures of the critters being delivered.

West Sussex County Council later revealed the greedy grazers had arrived as part of a roundabout sponsorship scheme to promote the South Downs National Park.

The council said a fence will soon be put round the edge to keep the sheep from distracting drivers.

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