'Skeg Vegas' sign brings selfie-hunters flocking to Skegness

A tongue-in-cheek sign comparing a Lincolnshire seaside town to Las Vegas has become an internet sensation as people flock to take selfies and post them on social media.

Residents of Skegness have long lovingly referred to the town as "Skeg Vegas", in reference to its reputation for amusement arcades, cabaret entertainment and some-might-say tacky nightlife.

But now a local business has gone a step towards making the nickname official by installing a sign which is an almost exact replica of the famous Las Vegas sign – with some crucial differences.

While the original sign carries the greeting "Welcome to fabulous Las Vegas, Nevada", the Skegness copy reads: "Welcome to fabulous Skeg Vegas. Not in Nevada."

Skegness Raceway stadium, which reportedly spent £36,000 on the light-up sign – made by RD Signs from Dinnington, Sheffield – said it wanted to make people happy.

In a post on Facebook, bosses said: "With the current tough times we are all going through we decided to put a smile on everyone’s face and put something back into the community, oh and also light up the sky!

"The sign is an exact copy of the Las Vegas sign (which was built in May 1959)... We hope this new landmark will become as popular as the original in Las Vegas."

And, if the reaction on social media is anything to go by, they have certainly had their wish.

Hundreds of people have posted pictures on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook standing in front of the sign.

Among them, the Gogglebox star Izzi Warner, who posted a picture of her standing below the sign on Instagram, writing: "Unlike in actual Vegas I didn’t have to queue for a pic in front of this sign."

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