PEOPLE and businesses in Tebay have launched a campaign to have the village recognised on road signs on the M6 motorway.

The village does not appear on any of the signs beside the M6 and residents say they have had enough of being overlooked.

They have gathered a petition of more than 1,300 signatures and received more than 70 letters of support from local business and organisations, including Cumbria Tourist Board, Eden District Council and the RAC.

Helen Jones, who runs a bed and breakfast in the village, handed the petition and the letters to the Highways Agency which is responsible for motorways and trunk roads.

She said: "There are about 600 residents in the village so 1,300 signatures isn't bad going."

She explained that people in the village were tired of having to explain where they were by referring to a junction number because the name Tebay is absent from the road signs.

Kirkby Stephen, Brough and Kendal all get a mention, but Tebay itself, which sits right on junction 38 does not.

Mrs Jones said: "We are just a number rather than a name, we are just junction 38 and that is not really good enough.

"I had an Australian couple stay with me and they said they would never had found us if it hadn't been for the directions I gave them."

But Mrs Jones said it is not only individual villagers and tourism businesses like hers which were suffering, but also industrial and other businesses which need to be found from the motorway.

Richard Wilson, managing director of international timber importers R.H.

Wilson Ltd, backed the campaign for recognition of Tebay.

He explained that the firm moved in June from its former home in Staveley to be closer to the transport links.

He said the lack of signs for Tebay on the motorway was a problem for the firm: "Road haulage is really important to us and we have to get things right," he said, "We just cannot afford to have lorries getting lost looking for us and sailing by and having to turn round because there is no sign for Tebay.

People need to be able to find us."

Doug Jackson, spokesman for the Highways Agency, confirmed that the petition and letters calling for signs to Tebay had been received by the agency and the issues raised would be considered.