Cornwall Tourism Chief Slams Sign Telling Visitors To 'Turn Around And F*** Off'

Cornwall may officially be welcoming holidaymakers back to the county, but some locals very much aren't.

A picture widely circulated on social media over the weekend shows three people stood on a bridge reportedly above the A30 in Bodmin holding aloft a sign that reads 'Turn around and f*** off'.

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As you might expect, Cornwall's tourism chief Malcolm Bell wasn't best impressed with the greeting.

Speaking to Cornwall Live, he said: "I don't like to see signs like the one we saw on the A30 yesterday. It is being offensive to a large group of people.

"I find it unforgivable. It's accusing people before they even arrive.

"We are battling to save thousands of jobs. Let's welcome our customers, who will share their money to keep Cornish people in jobs."

Generally though, people were said to offer up a warm and friendly welcome to tourists over the weekend.

Indeed, there was also a bloke in Dawlish, on the south coast of Devon, who held up a much nicer sign which read 'Welcome holidaymakers'. However, the amiable tone of the message was completely ruined by the fact he was also dressed as the Grim Reaper.

Fortunately, the Reaper was challenged by two men who confiscated his sign, so it seems he's not that fearsome after all.

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Cornwall previously shut itself off to holidaymakers in a bid to prevent coronavirus spreading throughout the area, amid fears the healthcare infrastructure could be overwhelmed. But people are now being welcomed back in the hope of rebooting the local tourism sector.

Naturally though, some concerned residents feel it is too soon.

In May, a farmer from the county gave a beach-goer a very hostile reception - though to be fair they had parked in his field, so the reception may have been no different if we were living in a world free of Covid-19.

In a viral video, the farmer could be seen spreading slurry in his field as he approached a Mercedes-Benz near the gate. As he got closer to the vehicle, the farmer said: "The beach is nice and busy today - everyone social distancing I suppose. That busy, they've decided to park in the field."

The farmer's intentions became clear as he edged closer still to the car and explained to a child, whose voice can also be heard from the tractor: "Could see I was spreading slurry. I'm nearly finished mate - and I'm not stopping."

Then, as the flying s*** crept towards the Merc, the farmer delivered his James Bond-esque sign-off: "I hope you have as much fun washing your car as I'm going to have painting it for ya."

Seconds later, the Benz was transformed with a glossy, fresh brown coat.

Topics: Viral, UK News, lockdown, cornwall, holidays

Jake Massey

Jake Massey is a journalist at LADbible. He graduated from Newcastle University, where he learnt a bit about media and a lot about living without heating. After spending a few years in Australia and New Zealand, Jake secured a role at an obscure radio station in Norwich, inadvertently becoming a real-life Alan Partridge in the process. From there, Jake became a reporter at the Eastern Daily Press. Jake enjoys playing football, listening to music and writing about himself in the third person.

@jakesmassey