WELCOME to Lancashire the White Rose County!

No, the Citizen has not made a deliberate mistake and forgotten about the War of the Roses and hundreds of years of history. And no, neither has your favourite free local newspaper become colour blind.

But drivers speeding down the M6 into the county from Cumbria now get a culture shock because the official Lancashire road sign seems to be part of a plot hatched by those old enemies from deepest, darkest Yorkshire.

The sign on the M6 at the border says Welcome to Lancashire, the Red Rose County' - a very nice greeting into our great county.

But the colour of the rose adorning the top of the sign and here's the problem - is unmistakably WHITE.

Embarrassed Lancashire County Council staff, who sport a big red rose on the side of the County Hall building and on their f their fleet of vehicles, are now furiously trying to correct the mistake by replacing the sign as quickly as possible.

A red-faced spokesman for Lancashire County Council says: "We are aware that this sign on the motorway has faded and the rose now appears to be white.

"We are currently in discus-sions with the Highways Agency to replace this sign with a new one as soon as we get permission. We do need consent because it is located on a motorway.

"When we get permission we will replace the sign and make sure the rose is red."