Birmingham City Council leaders are threatening legal action against a digital sign that is falsely accusing official members of the council of criminal activities connected to land and property deals.
The sign is being aired on the side of the former fire station building in Bordesley Green which is seen by thousands of commuters and pedestrians each day.
The owners of the building are the developer firm Edward and John Brown which has been entangled in legal disputes with the council over property deals which they have said cost them over one million pounds.
Their complaint was made back in 2008 which also concerned a development in Small Heath where the firm built and sold houses. A fraction of this development was on council owned land which meant that the home owners had no right of access to their properties.
Due to this, a huge legal dispute began between the homeowners, the council and the developer which left the firm in loss.
The firm still believe that the council has exploited them and also that they were the rightful owners of the land. They have also argued that the authority declined a meet with them for a full enquiry.
Company Director, Tom Joyce said: “I have been forced to resort to a situation where actions speak louder than words.”
He made a chain of allegations against the council over the council’s conduct of the land sale and disagreement and added that they had ‘treated him with contempt’.
The City Council has strongly dismissed the claims and warned that it may perhaps take action to remove the sign.
A city council spokesman said: “The council is aware that an electronic sign is being displayed by a member of the public, which accuses the Local Authority of ‘condoning’ criminal actions by council officers.”
“This sign is false and its accusations are entirely denied. No council officer has been charged or convicted of any criminal act. The council would most certainly not condone any such activity, if it were to occur.”
“This false accusation is being presented on a sign, which is displayed on privately owned land. By doing so, the owner or occupier of that land may be committing an offence and the council is currently taking legal advice in relation to the same.”
