Shropshire Council says it is removing flags from lamp posts - here's why
Shropshire Council has confirmed it is removing flags that have been added to lamp posts in recent weeks.
Flags which appeared in great numbers across the county this summer are now being removed by council crews.
Like areas across the country Shropshire saw a sudden spate of St George's Crosses and Union flags appearing on lamp posts during August.
In Shrewsbury flags were put up along a mile-long stretch of Mount Pleasant Road in Harlescott, on Sundorne Road, before they also appeared around Meole island and along Oteley Road as far as Shrewsbury Town FC’s Montgomery Waters Meadow stadium.
It has been framed as a patriotic act by those raising the flags, but others say the movement has a darker anti-immigration undercurrent.
Earlier this week workers were seen removing some of the flags on Sundorne Road.
Shropshire Council has confirmed the flags were taken down by its highways workers - and that crews would be taking down others on street lights and lamp posts as well.
The authority said the decision was taken after some of the flags were left "torn and unsightly" following the impact of Storm Amy and recent bad weather.
It added that the damage meant some of the flags could "pose a safety risk".
Council leader Heather Kidd said: "Storm Amy’s arrival over the weekend has left many of the flags that people have put up over the last few weeks across the county torn and unsightly, but the damage has also meant that they could cover street signs and pose a safety risk.
"Because of this, we have made the decision to take the flags on our lamp posts and street lights down and I’m pleased to say that our highways team has already removed some on Sundorne Road in Shrewsbury."
A video posted on social media of the Sundorne Road flags being removed was met with responses from some posters saying they had more flags ready to go up again this weekend.
The issue sparked a back-and-forth between Shropshire Council's Green Party and Reform councillors back in August.
Shrewsbury's Green Party called for the flags in the town to be taken down, with its leader Julian Dean describing the movement as "anti-democratic" and saying "many feel worried and intimidated by their presence".
Reform leader Dawn Husemann responded by saying: "The fact that Councillor Dean claims that 'many feel worried and intimidated' shows how out of touch his party is with the British people.
"To be clear, a proud, patriotic people should be supported in flying their national flags, as is the norm in almost any other country.
"If individuals have issues with this, they are the outliers and while they are of course entitled to their opinions, they are not entitled to impose such left-field opinions on the majority."
