BOURNEMOUTH'S new "Wayfinding" signs, which have previously been criticised for spelling mistakes, now have to be altered to comply with Ofcom rules.

The signs were installed across the town centre and seafront earlier this year at a total cost of £967,000.

But there were problems from the start, with some of the signs displaying spelling mistakes and appearing to give questionable information as to how long it would take to walk to another destination.

And now it has emerged that the signs need to be changed by the summer because they display an 0845 telephone number for the town's tourism information service but give no details about the cost of calling this number.

An Ofcom ruling coming into effect in July states that anyone displaying an 0845 number will have to break the cost down into an "access charge" levied by the phone company and a "service charge" paid to the organisation they are calling.

This aims to help consumers understand the exact cost of calls to 0845 numbers, which can currently cost up to 40 pence a minute from a mobile phone, depending what network you are on.

The new signage was intended to help Bournemouth compete with rival destinations like Bath, Bristol and London and replace the town's poor quality signage with clearer and more modern signs that encourage visitors to explore the town and its key landmarks.

Chris Saunders, head of operations at Bournemouth Borough Council, said: "We are aware of the new ruling from Ofcom which comes into place from July and have made arrangements to modify the signage.

"The Wayfinding scheme is an ongoing project and signage will continue to be updated as and when there are significant changes that occur in the town.

"We are already seeing the new Wayfinding scheme enhancing the tourist experience and reinforcing Bournemouth’s reputation as the UK’s premier resort.”

Bournemouth council said there was no extra cost involved in changing the signs.