Italy: Town of Pontoglio told to remove 'no-Islam' signs - for being wrong colour

A northern Italian town has been asked to remove a road sign calling for those who do not respect its "Christian values" to leave. Pontoglio, located near to the city of Brescia, put up the signs at the entrances to town towards the end of 2015 after its centre-right mayor, Alessandro Seghezzi, was granted permission by the local council.

While not specifically doing so, many believed the sign was directed at any potential Muslims entering Pontoglio, with locals reportedly dubbing the caption a "no-Islam" sign.

The sign read: "Pontoglio, town of western culture and deep Christian tradition. People unwilling to respect local culture and tradition are invited to leave."

According to reports, the prefect of Brescia, Valerio Valenti, has now ordered Seghezzi to remove the sign, but not because of its potential to offend. Instead, Valenti has issue with the colour of the sign, stating it does not comply with the rules of the road.

In Italy, brown road signs indicate information for visitors about a tourist attraction in the area, something the sign does not do. Because of this, the town of Pontoglio, which has around 7,000 residents, could be breaking the law and risks a potential fine.

At the time, Councillor Paolo Bocchi denied the sign was racist and claimed the panels provided visitors with "cultural and historic information".