A sign written in ancient Greek and Latin warning cyclists not to chain their bikes to railings in Cambridge has been branded 'elitist ' . The notice has been fixed outside a university building in Portugal Place - but the message contains grammatical errors , according to one expert . It warns that bikes will be 'removed or destroyed ' if they are left behind a building previously used by the Greek Orthodox Church . Warning : A sign written in ancient Greek and Latin telling cyclists not to leave their bikes chained to railings has been erected outside a university building in Cambridge . The sign , put up behind a building previously used by the Greek Orthodox Church , has been branded 'elitist ' Selwyn College classics lecturer Dr Rupert Thompson said there were inaccuracies in the Greek warning with one word having the opposite meaning to that intended . He said : 'It 's definitely trying to be ancient Greek but it 's not quite . The second word , `` ΛΗΦΘΕΝΤΕΣ '' , actually means `` taken '' not `` left '' . ' He added : ' I do n't know what to make of it really , but it 's very amusing and it 's absolutely great to see this in the city . ' Classicist Professor Mary Beard , from Newnham College , translated the Latin part of the sign as meaning 'two wheels [ cycles ] left/abandoned here will be removed ' . Classicist Professor Mary Beard ( pictured ) , from Newnham College , translated the Latin part of the sign as meaning 'two wheels [ cycles ] left/abandoned here will be removed ' But both lecturers agreed it was the correct way to describe bicycles as the noun was not invented until the early 19th century . One Twitter user called the sign 'elitist ' and another wrote : ' I feel tempted to add some Anglo-Saxon graffiti . ' Others suggested the sign had not done much good - because a picture on social media showed a bike chained to the rails in defiance of the notice . According to the Daily Telegraph , nobody from Cambridge University knew when the sign had been erected or who had put it there .
Sign was erected outside university building in Portugal Place , Cambridge . But the message , in two classical languages , has been branded as 'elitist ' One expert has claimed that there are inaccuracies in the Greek warning .