DISGRUNTLED residents living near the Hollywood sign are suing the city of Los Angeles claiming they are being overrun by tourists.

    The well-heeled denizens of Beachwood Canyon, which sits underneath the iconic sign, are going to court in an attempt to close off an access route used by thousands of visitors.

    They said their once-secluded neighborhood had been “turned into Disneyland” as tour buses and hikers arrive in ever growing numbers.

    Sarajane Schwartz, one of the residents suing, told the Los Angels Times: “It’s dangerous.”

    Another resident said: “We’re not talking about a Nimby issue, we’re talking about a real serious safety issue.”

    Beachwood Canyon has at various times been home to famous residents including Aldous Huxley, Charlie Chaplin, Jennifer Aniston and Leonardo DiCaprio.

    The legal action, which does not currently include celebrity backers, is the latest step in a long battle which has previously seen some residents erecting misleading signs pointing visitors away from the tourist attraction.

    Those suing the city say the increasing number of tour buses and cars is putting lives at risk, and that hordes of hikers are making brush fires more likely.

    According to them there was a fire near the sign recently and a car went off the road.

    They are suing under the California Environmental Quality Act claiming the city is trying to boost the number of tourists visiting the sign without assessing the impact on the area.

    The residents want a path that leads to a viewing area closed.

    Tom LaBonge, who represented the area on the Los Angeles City Council until earlier this year, criticized the legal action.

    “When you live next to a public park you have to expect one thing — the public,” he said.  (SD-Agencies)