AN ICONIC red post traffic sign at a Purbeck junction has been restored to its former glory.

The post, at the A31 Bloxworth junction near Botany Bay Farm, has been refurbished thanks to Kier Highways and the guidance of the Dorset Fingerpost Project (DFP).

The project was established to help maintain the unique fingerposts using traditional methods.

Katharine Wright, coordinator of the DFP, said: "To see this iconic Dorset fingerpost restored back to its former glory is truly magnificent and would encourage other locals to step forward to help restore their local fingerpost to help maintain local distinctiveness."

There are around 700 fingerpost signs in Dorset, which are mostly painted black and white. Indeed, only four of the county's fingerposts are painted red.

According to the DFP there are many stories told as to why the posts were painted red, including to mark the route convicts were taken on before being transported to Australia.

Another theory, says the DFP, is that they marked the location of convicts hanged before transportation if they were struggling along the way.