Cornwall councillors have today voted in favour of placing rubber rings around all concrete posts owned by the Council.

The decision will not affect the black posts bearing the Duchy shield logo.

A spokesman for the Council, Denzil Landrevan, said: “This move will hopefully achieve two things. Firstly, it should prevent thousands of pounds worth of damage to vehicles each year.

“Secondly, it should prevent overweight people from embedding themselves on these posts. Embedding is on the increase in areas with obesity problems and these rings could be the answer to that.

“Emergency services have been called out more than 300 times this year alone due to overweight people, either falling on concrete posts, or sitting on them.”

Community activist, Leesa Hamlet, 34, said: “if overweight people are embedding themselves on concrete posts, surely Cornwall Council should be creating weight loss programs to help people lose weight?

“It’s penny pinching capitalism at its worst. And even if these rubber rings are necessary, why aren’t the fast-food chains coughing up the money for them?”