A new sign welcoming people on to the Island is being planned but a mystery hangs over what happened to the old one.

Speaking about the fate of the original greeting, Pete Raine, Swale council’s director of regeneration, said: “No one knows, it vanished in the mists of time and space.”

He confirmed that a replacement was being made by building company Carillion.

Mr Raine said: “We have commissioned Carillion, who maintain that section of road, to do a new sign.

“The design has been agreed, the site has been agreed, they are just waiting for financial approval for the cost.”

The old sign was taken down by Carillion as they realigned the roads when the new bridge was built in 2005.

Concerned resident Ian Warner said he contacted various councillors about its disappearance.

Mr Warner, of Harebell Close, Minster, said: “Apparently Swale council failed miserably in their duty to look after it and make sure it was put back after the new bridge was constructed.

“Bearing in mind this sign represents a minuscule amount of money it’s utterly ludicrous a replacement sign hasn’t been designed and erected in the years since the bridge was finished.

"There are more than 40,000 people now living on the island all of whom are paying huge sums in council tax.

“Think how important this sign is. Every single person who enters the island would look at it every time they arrive.”

The new sign is expected to measure four metres wide and two metres tall. It will say, Welcome to Sheppey and will possibly have, Please drive carefully underneath.

It will be on the left hand side as you come over the Sheppey Crossing.

Mr Warner said: “Whoever designed the old sign put two seagulls on it instead of a picture of an old Farman aeroplane depicting the Island’s aviation heritage. Quite why seagulls were put on it is beyond me.”