NAZI dictator Adolf Hitler appears to have backed a petition calling for the return of a cycle lane to Old Shoreham Road - raising concerns about bogus signatures.
The tyrant's name was among more than 2,000 signatures to appear on the petition on Brighton and Hove City Council’s website, which asks the council to install “well-planned and high-quality permanent cycle lanes” on the road.
Hitler's name was one of several bogus signatories that appeared on two rival petitions on the controversial subject.
A temporary cycle lane along Old Shoreham Road proved divisive, with motorists claiming the lane caused congestion and more pollution along the road.
Labour and Conservative councillors voted to scrap the cycle lane last year.
Conservative councillor Robert Nemeth, who opposed the cycle lane, also appeared to sign the petition twice, with his name and "Bob Nemeth" appearing among the signatories.
Cllr Nemeth said: “I was surprised to learn that I had supposedly twice signed this controversial petition, especially when I do not sign any petitions that involve lobbying the council out of principle.
“Given that the petition is not hugely above the number of signatures that are required for council debate, it does raise the question of how many other signatures are fake.”
The petition, along with a rival petition calling for the cycle lane not to return, will go before councillors at a meeting of full council on April 7 at Hove Town Hall.
A spokesman for the council said: "We've been made aware of a small number of signatures on the two petitions relating to cycle lanes that are clearly bogus.
"Unfortunately all petition forums, such as the council's, can attract users who are determined to misuse the process.
"We are happy to check any other signatures people may be concerned about - please email democratic.services@brighton-hove.gov.uk if you have any concerns.
"We are currently looking at how we can best add a further level of verification to the petition signature process to avoid this issue in the future."
Adolf Hitler, whose name has since been removed from the list of signatories of the petition, launched an intense bombing campaign known as the Blitz during the Second World War, with Brighton attacked on 56 occasions between July 1940 and February 1944.
However, the Fuhrer reportedly ordered for the Royal Pavilion not to be bombed as he planned to use the palace as his personal headquarters after the war.
German plans for the invasion of Britain would have seen divisions land on beaches between Rye and Hastings, Bexhill and Eastbourne, and Beachy Head and Brighton, but these plans were postponed indefinitely after the Battle of Britain.
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