Dozens of road traffic signs have reappeared on the island of Terschelling after the council announced a one-day amnesty.

Mayor Caroline van der Pol said she had been against the idea of letting thieves go unpunished at first, but changed her mind when the signs began flowing in.

‘I thought, why should they get a clean slate for free? But it works,’ she told Omroep Fryslân.

The council decided to take action because the absence of signs was making the island’s one main road and handful of tributaries unsafe, Van der Pol said. The cost of replacing the signs – around €300 per piece – was also a factor.

Terschelling decided to launch the appeal so the signs can be replaced while the roads are being upgraded and made safer, a project that is due to be completed in June.

‘As soon as people heard about the initiative the signs started coming in, she said. We’ve already had dozens handed in to our outdoor services, the police and the Maritime Institute.’

But she warned that the amnesty was a one-off and anyone trying to return signs from Tuesday can expect a ‘hefty fine’.