WORKERS will no longer be able to use ladders to put up advertising banners in the town centre – because council officials say it's "not safe".

Previously, Ringwood Town Council's maintenance teams would use the equipment to install the signage on lamp posts.

But now, Hampshire County Council officers have ruled that this practice is "not a safe system of work" and breaches health and safety regulations.

This, the town council has said, throws its plans at installing banners to promote community events into doubt, as alternative means of fitting them – such as renting a cherry picker – are "significantly more expensive".

The revelation was made during the authority's planning meeting last month, after approval was already given last year to install them across the town by their county counterparts..

The report added: “Officers received advice [from the county council] that the previous practice, whereby grounds maintenance staff installed banners on the lamppost mounts by working from ladders, is not a safe system of work and therefore breaches health-and-safety legislation.

“Any alternative (safe) system of work would be significantly more expensive.

“Various options exist for a safe method of work in respect of putting the banners up or taking them down."

It added: "A mobile work platform or ‘cherry-picker’ could be hired on the relevant days.

“It may be possible to find independent specialist contractors prepared to do the work for a fee (though initial approaches have been unproductive).”