Welcome to Brighton: The council meant to say it with flowers, but drivers are straining their eyes to read the city's floral greeting sign.

The plants on the sign by the A23 in Patcham have grown into an illegible tangle.

And the blurred message attracted a group of jokers to create a greeting sign of their own.

In perfectly clear red paint they wrote "Can you read this? If not you should have gone to Specsavers."

A Brighton and Hove City Council spokeswoman said gardeners were on to the matter.

She said: "We appreciate the welcome sign is looking a bit overgrown at the moment.

"The borders are being replanted and the lettering will be replanted later this week so the sign will be looking neat and tidy for the summer."

Mike White, store director of Specsavers in Brighton, said he was pleased people had picked up on the company's catchphrase.

The current sign has been in place since 2001.