Town tires of making Miss Universe signs

Miss Universe Jennifer Hawkins has inadvertently sparked a crime spree in her Australian hometown and civic leaders have had enough.

Five signs erected in her honour in the steel-making city of Newcastle have been stolen in the six months since she was crowned, Mayor Greg Piper said today.

The city council has decided it will no longer replace the signs, which cost about €150 each, he said.

“As a council, I think it’s improper for us to continue putting the signs up when we know they’re going to be vandalised,” he said, adding he didn’t want to spend any more taxpayers’ money.

The first sign, erected in August at the outer suburb of Holmesville where the 20-year-old beauty queen’s family lives, was swiped within 24 hours.

The council tried to make succeeding signs more secure by welding them to steel posts, but to no avail.