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2h ago

St George’s Flags Spread Across England as Police Probe Vandalism and Councils Diverge on Removals

The wave has been propelled by online organising linked by researchers to far‑right figures, with organisers’ claims about its size unverified.

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St George's flags fly from lampposts in York, northern England, as a new trend for flying such pennants including the Union Jack has emerged in recent weeks in a display of patriotism linked to the far-right
Cars pass St George's Cross flags, the national flag of England, painted onto the white of road markings near a London residential street

Overview

  • Derbyshire police opened an investigation and appealed for witnesses after red crosses resembling the St George’s flag were painted on a wall behind a war memorial and on a nearby roundabout in Kilburn.
  • Local responses vary, with Derbyshire County Council applying a risk-based approach that leaves most flags in place, while Birmingham City Council has removed hundreds from street furniture citing safety risks.
  • Essex County Council leaders distanced themselves from an internal email offering support to staff unsettled by flags and said displays would only be removed if they posed a hazard.
  • Campaign organising is linked to Operation Raise the Colours, with founder Andy Saxon associated with Tommy Robinson and Britain First saying it donated most of its flag stock to local teams; claims of a million flags are not verified by AFP.
  • National figures have endorsed flag‑flying, with Prime Minister Keir Starmer saying he is proud of the flags and cautioning against uses that seek to divide, as some councils and residents label unauthorised displays vandalism or intimidation.