THE owner of a cleaning company has taken caring for his community to new levels after getting fed up with seeing dirty road signs every day.

Rob Panther, 39, from Peatmoor, found himself getting more and more frustrated as he passed the signs, covered in moss and other muck, on his way to jobs.

A few months ago, he decided enough was enough – he stopped his van, took out his cleaning gear and got to work brightening them up himself.

Rob said: “I’m a window cleaner with my own company and I was driving around seeing all these dirty signs.

“I’d see the same ones every day and I just couldn’t look at them any longer, they make everything look so grotty.

“I got fed up of waiting, fed up of seeing it all the time so I decided to do something about it.”

Married father of two Rob, who owns R Panther Cleaning Services, has now cleaned around 35 signs across the town in the last few months.

“I drive all over for work, so I just do them when I am out and about - some of the signs in the rural areas are particularly bad.

“I think I’ll definitely carry on doing it, it has become a bit of a covert op.

“I’m careful about where I do it, I’m not going to stop the van on the A419 for example.”

Rob’s friends and family thought it was a little bit of an unusual thing to do at first but they are right behind him now, joking that he should come and clean the signs near them too.

The public response has been similarly positive, a Facebook post showing a few of the signs he has cleaned has been liked almost 200 times including by none other than the leader of Swindon Borough Council, David Renard.

Priory Vale councillor, Emma Faramarzi, commented: “Fantastic. Look at the community spirit we've got in North Swindon.

“I think you are a star.”

Other users have also thanked Rob for his efforts, Alison Andrews said: “What a great citizen you are, well done.”

Tim Keen added: “Love the community spirit. Also good to see the signs are now as clean as my windows - quality job as ever!”

Some people jokingly asked whether Rob had completed the correct health and safety forms before cleaning the signs, or suggested that perhaps he should get a reduction on his council tax for his good deeds.

Rob said: “I was a bit worried that I might get in some kind of trouble for it at first, but I was reassured to see how people reacted, especially the local councillors.

“I just like the area to be clean but it’s lovely that people in the community are appreciating what I’m doing.”