England flags hang across the street in Torrington Avenue, Knowe, Bristol, where residents are showing their support for England during the Euro 2020 tournament. Picture date: Thursday June 24, 2021. PA Photo. See PA story SPORT Flags . Photo credit should read: Ben Birchall/PA Wire Credit: PA
BRITS could face jail time for putting up St George’s Cross flags under a new £2.6million council crackdown.
Bristol City Council is reportedly considering a High Court injunction to stop flags being raised on lamp-posts and railings across the city.
Brits could face time behind bars for putting up St George flags Credit: SWNS
Bristol City Council is reportedly considering whether to go to the High Court in a crackdown on the flags Credit: SWNS
Last summer saw thousands of St George flags strung up on public property across the country, promoted by groups claiming it was a show of patriotic pride.
But a number of local authorities have since attempted to crack down on the practice with some, including Bristol City Council, claiming they’ve been forced to fork out thousands to remove them.
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The council is now exploring whether to follow in the steps of Oxfordshire County Council, who successfully applied for a court order to stop residents raising the flags on public highways.
It means anyone breaching the order could face time behind bars, a fine or even have their assets seized, reports the BBC.
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Bristol City Council says it has already spent £50,000 on stripping flags from street furniture across the city, after sparking fury with residents during the World Cup in the summer.
Lib Dem councillor Stephen Williams said: “Unfortunately we’re in a situation where our highways contractors have taken down hundreds of flags, they pretty soon go up again, so we’re in a cat-and-mouse situation.
“There is divided opinion about the meaning of people putting up flags on council lamp-posts or railings.”
He added that putting up flags on lamp-posts presented a safety risk.
Elsewhere in the West of England, Somerset Council says taxpayers were billed nearly £3,000 for the removal of flags in the year ending August 2026 and they would be seeking to recover the costs.
The Jattvibe has contacted Bristol City Council and Somerset Council for comment.
Meanwhile, South Gloucestershire Council previously said they were taking a stronger position and removing unauthorised flags.
Lib Dem councillor Maggie Tyrrell and Labour councillor Ian Boulton said in a statement last September that they were “not representative of the the values we share”.
“We recognise that national flags can bring vibrancy, pride and a sense of unity to our communities – especially during major events and periods of national celebration,” they said.
“However, their placement in unauthorised locations and recent campaigns and behaviours linked to the unauthorised display of flags have caused genuine concern among many residents.”
In Wiltshire, the council reportedly does not intend to undertake an enforcement campaign but will instead treat each incident on an individual basis.
David Bullock, the council’s director of highways, said the council didn’t take issue with the flags but “where they’re displayed”, citing safety risks.
David Bullock, the council’s director of highways, said: “Our concern isn’t with the flags themselves, but with where they’re displayed.
Bath and North East Somerset Council are also reportedly not considering plans to putting up flags without authorisation.
In July, Oxfordshire County Council successfully applied to the High Court for an injunction to stop residents raising flags by public highways.
It came as the Liberal Democrat-led authority said flag-flying “caused distress within communities, and led to abuse and intimidation”.
And earlier this month, Birmingham City Council applied to the High Court for an interim injunction to prevent the unauthorised attachment of flags.
The council said last week: “Unauthorised attachments to street furniture can create highway safety risks, obstruct visibility, interfere with highway assets and contribute to tensions and disorder.”
According to documents submitted to the court, the local authority could spend up to an eye-watering £2.6million in their efforts.
