MYSTERIOUS knitters aim to get tourists in stitches with a road sign to celebrate Thomas Hardy's birthday weekend.

The group have crafted the brown sign on the A35 in Dorchester directing drivers to Max Gate.

They say it is because the famous author's home would need thousands more visitors a year before the Highways Agency will install signs.

But they believe the tourist destination is stuck in a tricky situation- saying that without the road signs, the National Trust owned house is 'struggling' to reach the required target.

But the Highways Agency said there are 'stringent specifications' which need to be met.

One guerrilla knitter, who wishes to remain anonymous, said: “The Highways Agency is responsible for road signs on the main roads in to and through Dorchester, including the ring-road around Dorchester.

“The Highways Agency charges organisations for signs to sites such as Max Gate.

“The charge is for an initial survey plus the cost of installation - and it is costly.

“The National Trust would need to get a high number of visitors- thousands each year- to both be worth the high cost it would have to pay, plus convince the Highways Agency that signage was required.

“Without the signage, Max Gate is struggling to get these high numbers of visitors.

“Those who do visit speak very highly of the house and gardens and of their visit there.

“Hopefully any publicity this temporary knitted sign gains will help Max Gate increase visitor numbers, plus help new visitors know where it's located.”

They added that the National Trust were neither involved nor informed of the installation.

The Highways Agency will now investigate the knitted sign, which will be removed if it contravenes regulations.

A spokesman for the authority said the woolly wording will have to be taken down if it appears a distraction to drivers.

He said there were a 'number of factors' that need to be considered before brown signs are installed for any tourism site.

He added: “The key thing, which surprises people, is that there's a lot more to it than just making a sign and putting it up.

“It has to meet very stringent specifications because of safety.”

Of the knitted sign, he said: “When people put up signs that are not legal and don't conform to standards, they are removed for safety reasons.

“And if people are looking at a knitted sign when they are driving along the road, it could be distracting.”

The Highways Agency estimates that a sign of similar size would cost between £8,000 and £16,000 and costs for design, installation, temporary traffic management and future maintenance must be paid by the applicant.

Max Gate was designed by Hardy in 1885 and is where he wrote some of his most famous novels including Tess of the d'Urbervilles.

A number of events have been planned by The Thomas Hardy Society to celebrate his 173rd birthday this weekend.

A National Trust spokesman said it did not condone the sign or know who is behind it.