Row over UK flag in Welsh town

A row has broken out over whether or not to fly the Union Jack in a Mid Wales town.Plans to boost tourism in Welshpool in the summer included flying the Welsh flag - but there was anger when it was suggested the United Kingdom flag should be flown as well.

In a bid to liven up the town during the tourist season between Easter and September, Welshpool Town Council's events committee had recommended a "dragon hunt" for visitors.

This involved bunting being put up in the main streets together with flags outside many of the town centre shops.

The committee said the flags used would be the Welsh national flag, apart from a few saying "Welcome to Welshpool".

However, Tony Squibb, town councillor, who is English but has lived in Welshpool for more than 50 years, said he wanted to see Union Jacks as well as the Welsh flag.

But fellow council member Stephen Cahill disagreed.

"I think we should fly the Welsh flag and only the Welsh flag," he said. "Wales isn't represented on the Union Jack so why should we fly it?"

A vote on the issue was split, with six votes each, leaving Geoff Cross, town mayor, to have the final say when he elected to have the Union flag displayed alongside the Welsh dragon.

* Ian Lucas, Labour MP for Wrexham, this week launched a bid for the Union Jack - which is currently made up of the English cross of St George, Scotland's Saltire and the Irish cross of St Patrick - to be redesigned to include the Welsh dragon.

Mr Lucas, a former Oswestry solicitor, took his bid to the House of Commons.