A CONSCIENTIOUS teenager has taken it upon himself to keep a seaside town looking presentable by cleaning and repairing street signs.

Nathan Curtis-Oram, 15, of Clacton, is a strong believer in the importance of preserving and maintaining his hometown and its history.

Last year, the keen litter-picker launched a campaign urging Essex County Council to do its best to save old streetlights instead of replacing them.

The Clacton County High School student then made it his mission to reattach disregarded lamp post doors to prevent their wires being left exposed.

Nathan has now turned his attention to giving street signs in the likes of Mountview Road a new lease of life with a fresh lick of paint and by cleaning them.

He said: “I have done it because I wanted to help out the council and I care about Clacton a lot, so I wanted to make it look cleaner and more respectful.

“I have done seven street signs at the moment, but I will be doing more soon – they take me about 15 minutes, but some take longer.

“One of the signs down First Avenue had fallen off, so I took it home, cleaned it up and painted over the rust and then tied it back on afterwards.”

Nathan, who uses a spray bottle filled with water and washing up liquid to wash the signs, has received endless praise online for his efforts.

One resident called him a “remarkable young man”, while others commended him for his “community spirit” and for being an “absolute superstar”.

Tendring Council’s newly-elected Eastcliff ward councillor Andy Baker has also publicly thanked Nathan for his work.

Nathan added: “I like helping out and I hope I can make loads more of the road signs in Clacton and Holland look much nicer and cleaner soon.”