WANDERERS fans are angry after a new club road sign was vandalised with the initials of a long-time rival.

A Whites sign in Stopes Road, Little Lever, has apparently been graffitied by a Manchester United fan, with ‘MUFC’ written over the logo.

Club officials had sponsored 33 boundary signs, around the borough, with a bespoke design.

Supporters noticed the vandalism on Wednesday night, just a day after the sign in question was put up.

Ian Bridge, from Bolton Wanderers Supporters Trust, said: “It’s a mindless act of vandalism and I don’t think there’s anything we can do to stop it.

“People who do this will eventually find other things to direct their anger at because you have to be an angry person to do something pointless like this.

“All we can do is hope that if anyone sees anyone doing anything – and it will always be during the evening, that they will report it.”

Such signs are a popular addition to road signs, for football and rugby clubs, across the north west.

Mr Bridge added: “I’ve seen the signs up and I think it’s a good idea, it’s some positivity and we’re getting a lit of that with the team’s position right now.”

There are 25 of the signs erected at the moment.

Craig Barnes said on Facebook: “I feared this may happen when these signs went up, particularly in parts of our borough bordering ‘M’ or ‘WN’ postcodes.

“(It) seems a Manchester United supporter has vandalised the BWFC board on the Little Lever/Radcliffe border at Stopes Road.

“We would hope Bolton Council remove the graffiti ASAP. That area borders Radcliffe which has a Manchester (M) postcode.

"All I can say is please keep an eye on these signs. If you see anyone tampering with a sign, photograph them and call the police.

“The vandalised sign is almost 10 miles from BWFC and the ones (which are) probably most at risk are the ones further out like these that border areas with other clubs’ fans.”

Another supporter, Steve Rennie, added: “To be honest we’re outnumbered by other clubs in every part of our own town.”

Eddie Bickerstaffe, who installed a number of the signs, said: “We cleaned this off yesterday morning and will continue to clean them when they get vandalised.”