North Down Borough Council passed a motion calling for four historical bridges in the town to be signposted - including the Boyne Bridge, Ballyholme Bridge, Folly Bridge and Bryansburn Bridge but Roads Service told the council in a letter they were "aware that it might cause controversy or upset community relations".

North Down DUP MLA Alex Easton accused the Department of Regional Development of "hypocrisy".

"The bridges had been officially named at a ceremony by the council around a century ago. However, now the only place the name appears is on ordnance survey maps of the town," he said.

"I found DRD's response completely hypocritical given the number of Irish language street signs that are put up around Northern Ireland."

In a letter to North Down Borough Council, Roads Service said it "does not normally erect nameplates retrospectively to highlight the name of a bridge or other structure as this is not considered to be a good use of our limited resources".

The letter also said the department "would not give permission for the erection of any nameplate on or within any publicly-owned asset for which DRD is responsible where the department is aware that it might cause controversy or upset community relations".

Mr Easton also hit out at the Alliance Party which opposed the signposts in council, accusing it of "stirring tensions".

"Council voted for it but unfortunately the Alliance Party objected because one of the bridges is called the Boyne Bridge," he said.

"Alliance claimed it would stir tensions in the area but there are no nationalist areas in this town. I just find it incredible that a bridge can't have the name advertised. Alliance has caused tensions for absolutely no reason."

But Alliance MLA and councillor Stephen Farry hit back, describing the area around the Boyne Bridge as "a mixed community".

"While the name Boyne Bridge may appear on ordnance survey maps, it is not a name that is used for the bridge within the local community.

Furthermore, the bridge has survived for well over a hundred years without a formal name plate," he said.

"The Brunswick Road area is a mixed community and is also the road where the local Catholic Church is situated."

A spokeswoman for DRD said: "Roads Service has received several previous requests to provide name plates at the bridge on Brunswick Road, as well as several others within the North Down area. As explained on those occasions, Roads Service does not normally erect name plates retrospectively to highlight the name of a bridge or other structure as this is not considered to be a good use of our limited resources.

"Roads Service therefore does not propose to erect nameplates at any of these four bridges within the North Down area."