Erroneous street signs in Chinese city to be corrected

Authorities in Shanghai are to correct badly phrased English on the Chinese city's street signs.

The use of ‘Chinglish', as it's become known, on official notices has been much photographed and much sniggered at.

Now a clean-up has been ordered ahead of the World Expo, which Shanghai is hosting next year.

Teams of student volunteers are being tasked with changing the signs and a website has been set up for people to report erroneous notices.

A similar campaign was launched before the Beijing Olympics last year.

The incorrect translations are frequently blamed on automated computer software.

Here are some of our favourite examples of Chinglish:

‘Prohibit carrying animals and the articles which disturb common sanitation (including the peculiar smell of effluvium)' - a sign at the city's Pearl Tower

‘Please leave your values at the front desk' - in a hotel lift

‘If you are stolen, please call the police at once' - security sign on the metro

‘Please bump your head carefully' - in the stairwell of a department store

‘I like your smile, but unlike you put your shoes on my face' - believe it or not, this was trying to say ‘Keep off the grass'

We've got some examples of Chinglish and other weird and wonderful signage in our forthcoming book Weird World. This compendium of colourful and crazy photos and stories from around the world is on sale from 1 October. You can find out more about Weird World here