A REAL sign of the times has appeared in an East Lancashire street.

A letting agent has put up a to-let sign outside a property in Darwen written purely in Polish.

Since 2004 when the country was admitted to the European Union it is thought that as many as 50,000 people from Poland have set up home in Lancashire.

We discover that many people believe the 'to let board' is a good sign for the future.

POLISH people are now part of East Lancashire's fabric.

Polish shops have opened, firefighters in Lancashire Fire and rescue have been taught key phrases in Polish and the police have produced flyers in Polish.

And in Darwen what is thought to be the first to-let board in Polish seen in East Lancashire has been put up outside 22 Hollins Grove Street.

Bury-based letting agents GNL Property Management put up the sign which reads Mieszkania do wynajecia dla kazdego na kazda kieszen. Mowimy po polsku' It roughly translates to house to let for everybody. We speak Polish.' Managing director of the firm, Graham Lightbown, said that Polish people were being taken advantage of by some landlords.

So he said he decided to create Polish-only signs after discovering the English language was a huge barrier for those with little or no English.

Graham teamed up with a Daniel Zabiegalowski, 24, who he had helped find a place to live in Bolton.

The mobile number on the sign is Daniel Zabiegalowski's who moved to the UK in 2003 and acts as a translator for Polish people and Graham.

Graham Lightbown, who has 150 houses on his books, said: "I had a couple of houses in Bolton and I had one on the same street as a Polish family who were looking for somewhere to live.

"Some Polish people are living in homes that are in a state of disrepair.

"I built up a relationship with this family and I have been helping other Polish people find homes, sort out National Insurance numbers and council tax when they come to the UK.

"I employ Polish workers and I have found some were being exploited elsewhere.

"I think the niche is there and people from Poland are respectful people. They look after the properties.

"I set up the business in 1999 and I would have produced signs that could be read by Asian people when Asian people first moved to the UK."

Janaid Qureshi, chief executive officer of Ethnic Minorities Development Association, said it was a positive step because it made people feel welcome.

But he said: "It should have done this 40 years ago when the first migrants came to Blackburn.

"I think the signs should be extended to street signs."

Katrina Sudnik, 25, is the daughter of Zdzislaw Sudnik, also known as Roy, 56, who is the chairman on the Polish Community Association and has helped more then 5,000 Polish people with jobs and homes over the past 15 years.

Mr Sudnik, owner of Sundik Employment Agency Limited, Wellington Street, Blackburn, was unavailable and Katrina spoke on his behalf.

She said: "It is a positive step. Some Polish people don't know what they are entering into when they are renting homes. They can pay high prices and can be taken advantage off.

"It is quite nice for the letting agency to write a sign in Polish. If a Pole sees and reads that sign they are going to they are going to feel friendly that a sign has been put up in Polish."

Moira Barrett, labour ward councillor for the Earcroft ward which includes Hollins Grove Street, also welcomed the move. She said: "Everything we do at the moment has words in other languages.

"I don't see why there shouldn't be signs in Polish.

"It is another way to make them feel welcome. I am Scottish and came here in 1972.

"I had difficulties when I moved to England and they will be stumped by the language."