'Intimidating atmosphere': Witness reports 'masked men' hanging up England and UK flags late at night on Christmas Eve as another 90 go up in Shrewsbury
Almost 100 more flags have gone up in the Shrewsbury area as part of the controversial “Operation Raise The Colours”, with one witness claiming to have seen masked men hanging them up in the middle of the night on Christmas Eve.
Union Jacks and England flags have been strapped to lamp posts between Bayston Hill and Dobbies island - one of the busiest thoroughfares in the county - as well as more in Hanwood.
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According to the “Raise The Flags Shrewsbury”, 90 more have gone up in the county town in the last three weeks since an online fundraiser was launched, bringing the total to around 350 flags since the national campaign began in August.
One witness told the Shropshire Star he witnessed flags going up on December 24 in the Bayston Hill area by the busy roundabout which links the A5 and A49. He said that the men were using a flatbed recovery truck from a company based in a town in the south of England nearly 200 miles away.
He said: “On Christmas Eve I saw two masked men putting flags on every lamppost between Dobbies roundabout and Bayston Hill, using a ladder and a flatbed recovery truck.
“These flags are being installed unlawfully, and the manner in which they are put up creates an intimidating atmosphere.
