MOTORISTS on one city centre street could be forgiven for thinking they have travelled back in time thanks to this out-of-date sign.

Attached to a lamppost close to the Opera House on Quay Street, it warns of major delays thanks to an event...which takes place on 24 June 2007.

Spotted by an eagle-eyed M.E.N photographer the sign is now over two years old but remains on its lofty perch. It was put up for a cycle skills competition to mark the end of Manchester Bike Week 2007.

Red-faced council bosses have promised to take the sign down after we brought it to their attention.

Liberal Democrat city centre spokesman Marc Ramsbottom managed to see the funny side. He joked: "There is an argument that the council leadership is living in the past so it's not surprising to see."

But he believes the sign is part of a real problem that needs tackling. He said: "There is an issue with the number of temporary signs that go up and never seem to be taken down.

"It looks as though nothing has been set up to monitor these kind of things."

Odette King, who works at the Walkabout Bar across the road, also poked fun. She said: "I wouldn't say Manchester is behind the times but looking at that you'd think it was. I'd have thought someone would have noticed it before now and had it taken down."

Odette, a 21-year-old from Brisbane, Australia, added: "It's not the kind of thing I've seen back home."

A spokesman for Manchester city council thanked the M.E.N for bringing the matter into the spotlight and promised action. He said: "Now that this has been brought to our attention, we will arrange for the sign to be removed."

The spokesman added that the sign was still there thanks to an oversight.

It would appear that Manchester is not the only place to suffer from out-of-date signs. Officials at Somerset county council removed 550 redundant road signs in the last four months. And the Department for Transport is so concerned about 'sign clutter' it plans to launch a country-wide project to reduce the number of out-of-date signs in the near future.