A couple of road painters maybe should have taken their time - spelling the word 'SLOW' on the tarmac.

Local observer Kim Cooper-Grindley was amused to see the warning spelled backwards on a street in Penge, south London.

She explains: "Why would you need to go slow looking in your rearview mirror, you've already passed?"

"It happened on Monday 15th January at approximately 11.30am. But they have not returned."

Kim joked: "Our concern is that there will be hoards of people visiting to see the famous WOLS, it will become a Penge tourist attraction like Barnard castle."

An online neighbourhood Facebook group were scratching their heads as they discussed whether it was a mistake or not.

Comments suggested whether it was "for testing your eyesight?" or "testing if you can read back to front"."

While one wag commented: "Owls down - it may all wrok uot fine in the edn."

It follows an incident in September 2022 when Brighton road marking painters went straight to bottom of the class - after spelling the word school wrong.

Contractors had daubed 'SHCOOL' outside Brighton's Portslade Aldridge Community Academy.

Bromley Council have been contacted for comment regarding the Penge spelling.