COMPANIES advertising without consent in Burnley have been warned they will face prosecution by the council.

The message to advertisers came as a Blackpool-based company, the Helicentre, was fined £800 with £175 costs at Reedley Magistrates Court for four separate offences of displaying advertisements without the necessary planning permission.

The adverts, three of which were on huge boards set on trailers and one which was tied to railings on a main road, promoted helicopter pleasure flights and gave a telephone number to ring.

They appeared between junctions nine and ten of the M65 and in two places at the top of Manchester Road in Burnley, between Higher Gibfield and the Waggoners Inn.

There were also other signs which had previously been removed because they were on private land and the owners of each bit of land were told by the council that they would be responsible for them.

The council first wrote to the company in February 2000 and then on various other occasions but the adverts were not removed.

A guilty plea from the company was submitted to Reedley Court by letter.

Karen Morville, Burnley's planning enforcement officer, said: "These were big signs on trailers in the middle of fields and were a distraction to drivers