Torquay’s Daddyhole Road signs taken by ‘souvenir hunters’

A road sign in Torquay has been repeatedly targeted by “souvenir hunters”, a councillor has said.

Torbay councillor Nick Bye said street signs on Daddyhole Road have disappeared and been replaced “twice in this term of office” – the last council elections were in May 2023.

The unusual name is reputed to come from the old Devon usage of the word ‘daddy’, as a reference to the devil, and legend says the devil lived in a cave at the base of the cliffs, formed when a massive chunk of limestone fell into the sea, creating the ‘daddyhole’.

The mystery of the missing signs was raised during a debate on how surplus money left over in the council coffers should be spent in local communities.

Councillor Darren Cowell said some of the surplus money could be spent replacing some of the bay’s damaged street signs, and Bye replied by saying some signs had been keeping him and councillor Hazel Foster busy already.

“We have first-hand experience of how well our road sign department responds,” Bye said.

“There are souvenir hunters who seem to be quite fascinated by the title of Daddyhole Road, and the sign keeps disappearing.

“Twice in this term of office we have had to get replacements.”

At a cabinet meeting, he said: “Quite why it gets taken away so frequently, who knows?”