ILLUMINATED signs said to mirror the giant Hollywood logo are blocking people’s views of Pendle Hill, say angry residents.

People living near the under-construction Sainsbury’s store in Colne have flooded Pendle Council with complaints about a two-metre high banner which can be seen across the town’s North Valley.

Residents spokesman Elsie Holmes, of Windsor Street, said: “There are two Sainsbury’s signs which look like the Hollywood sign. Why do we need such big signage?”

Neighbour Maria Youdale added: “It completely destroys the view we used to have across to Pendle Hill.

“If this sign is allowed to remain then it would consign our views of Pendle to history.”

But Sainsbury’s officials have insisted the signs are necessary to enable them to compete against rivals like ASDA at Colne and Nelson’s Morrison’s store.

Planning agent Nicole Johnston denied the signs were two metres tall, claiming this was only the height from the roof line to the top of the structure.

She added: “We would like to make the point that signs such as these, love them or hate them, are part of supermarkets. The size of them is required to advertise the store.

“There is a lot of competition for retailing in this country and stores need to be visible. We have a Morrison’s, off the motorway, which has a sign on the roof, and that is reasonably near residential properties.”

But councillors sitting on Pendle Council’s Colne committee have rejected two large signs, already installed above the store, and ordered talks between the company, residents and planning officials over remaining directional signs.