PRANKSTERS are putting lives at risk by interfering with road signs and other street furniture in Dorset.

People have been turning around roadside signs at village entrances so they display incorrect speed limits.

And youngsters have been caught moving cones and temporary road signs around late at night.

Police Community Support Officer Rhyan Toms said pranksters struck at Holywell, between Dorchester and Evershot.

She said signs that should display 30 miles per hour were flipped to show the national speed limit of 60 miles per hour.

"It might seem like a bit of harmless fun but at this time of year we've got lots of visitors in the region who don't know the roads. They will see these signs and automatically assume that it is the correct speed limit.

"Someone driving through a village at 60 miles per hour is obviously a lot more likely to have an accident.

"If they were to hit a pedestrian at that speed the chances of survival would be practically zero.

"I'm sure the culprits think it's a joke - but it's a joke that could have fatal consequences.

"I would urge whoever is responsible for this to stop it immediately."

Sergeant Steve Hughes said he believes the moving of cones and road signs overnight could be drunken pranks - but warned of the dangers.

He added: "By leaving cones in the middle of the road you could easily cause quite a nasty accident.

"Also if the road signs are warning of large holes in the ground, people could easily fall into them while out walking.

"These actions could have very serious consequences."