'Welcome to Walsall, land of the fatties' - Controversy as sign appears in town
Fat levels are a growing problem for towns across the Black Country – but one person has decided to make light of the issue with a sign.
The 'Welcome to Walsall' sign, which has been placed on the rails of a pedestrian crossing at the junction of Broadway North and Lichfield Street in the town, features two drawings of an overweight man and woman with the message: "Welcome to Walsall, land of the fatties, be nice or be dinner."
The sign was put up over the weekend, but it is unknown who is behind it. The new sign has been bringing the smiles to the faces of residents and visitors alike. But Council leader Mike Bird said that obesity is a serious issue in the borough and it should not be being made light of. He added: "It's a very serious issue in Walsall and if you walk around you can see just how much of a problem it is. It's disappointing that somebody feels the need to make light of it.
"But it's a new year and hopefully some of the seriously overweight people might see this and decide it's time to make a change."
Earlier this week it was revealed obese Walsall patients were having to be transferred across the country because the Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust does not have the equipment available to scan fat patients.
