Texting at the wheel sign snapped and removed from cyclist's roadside memorial three days after it was put up

A sign warning drivers of the dangers of texting at the wheel has been removed from the spot where a Kent cyclist lost his life just days after it was put up.

On September 7 2013, 18-year-old Daniel Squire was riding on the A258 at Ringwould in Kent when he was hit and killed by a van driven by Philip Sinden. Although Sinden admitted exchanging texts with his girlfriend immediately before the incident, he was cleared of causing death by dangerous driving and of causing death by careless driving.

Squire’s parents have campaigned to raise awareness of the dangers of mobile phone use while driving and Kent Online reports that in the lead up to the fifth anniversary of his death, his mum Tracy Squire placed a ‘Texting and driving – why risk it?’ sign at the site of the collision.

On Tuesday, she received a phone call from a police officer informing her that the post had been removed by a member of the public. A flower bed and ghost bike at the site were untouched.

"It was there only three days,” said Tracy. "They couldn't get the whole of it out of the ground so they broke it in two and left the rest. As if our hearts are not broken enough, especially this week of all weeks."

She added: "If somebody was really upset by it, I'd take it down. If they thought it was dangerous or offensive, we'd take it down.

"It's to tell people to stop texting when driving. It was a sign sending out a good message, nothing bad at all. It's not a cruel message. They've got no right to go up there and do this."

A police spokesman said: "Kent Police was made aware on Tuesday, September 4 that a display installed by a member of the public had been removed from the A258 near Ringwould.

"The display had been erected next to a memorial to remember a cyclist who died following a collision in March 2015. Officers are carrying out initial enquiries into the incident."