Digital subscribers to thecourier.com.au responded with the following letters to the editor.

Firstly, if the council was to be consistent then all the Christmas lights and decorations along Sturt Street, all the houses on the Christmas lights map and scenes on front lawns would all have to be removed.

Further, the point is that, where the"offending" strip of tinsel is located at schools, those crossings are supervised.

There is no way our crossing supervisors would allow students to cross if it was unsafe nor would they allow cars to drive through if there were children on the crossing.

Council, you've gone too far in a draconian way and obviously not thought this through in a logical or consistent manner.

Apologise to the lovely crossing supervisor for distressing her. Fix it.

Margaret Cockram, Wendouree

The tinsel should be returned immediately and apologies given to the community.

There is no distraction caused by this in comparison to the recent billboards erected at various inappropriate locations in the city.

Please return the tinsel!

Pam McKean, Scotchmans Lead

The crossings have had tinsel placed on them for the last 9 years that I am aware of.

A little bit of cheer, now stolen by the stupidity of council.

Have a good look around, you may wish to ban decorations on houses as they cause too much distraction.

William Bahr, Sebastopol.

Please look elsewhere for safety issues Ballarat City Council and perhaps The Courier could ask their readers to contribute to a list.

That will be an easy task.

The decorations here and at other sites have been there for years at Christmas so why is 2020 different?

They make me smile every time and the children love them.

Mary May, Ballarat.

A string of tinsel on a school crossing in Sebastopol has been deemed a distraction to drivers and has to be taken down to the dismay of Christmas loving locals and children.

I would have thought the council workers who park their vehicles in the centre of roundabouts while working is more of a distraction and a danger to motorists.

Get your priorities right council.

Geoff Rundell, Sebastopol.

This crossing supervisor has been decorating for years.

It's always been a joy to drive past.

It is sad that Sebastopol doesn't have the decorations in the median strips any more.

Why is that?

Kay McCowat, Sebastopol.

I wholeheartedly agree with Mr Salan regarding the removal of Christmas tinsel and would like to add that I find the flashing advertising signs, such as in Howitt street, far more disruptive.

Carolie Kerry, Ballarat.

Bah Humbug!

Am not aware of any distraction caused by a little tinsel decoration at the childrens' crossings.

Have driven through Sebastopol all my driving life and like that the crossing supervisors get into the spirit of Christmas.

Bernadette O'Loughlin, Buninyong.