DES MOINES (AP) - Authorities say an atheist group's advertising signs have been removed from Des Moines Area Regional Transit buses.

The ads sponsored by the Iowa Atheist and Free Thinkers group read, "Don't believe in God? You are not alone." They created a storm of controversy when they first went up on Aug. 1.

DART's advertising director, Kirsten Baer-Harding said Wednesday the agency's board never approved the signs and that they were put up by mistake. But the president of the atheist group said Baer-Harding had told him the signs had been approved.

DART said it started to receiving complaints the minute the ads went on the buses.

Baer-Harding said they were removed on Monday.