Mini-roundabouts in Birmingham have been painted with red crosses to resemble St George’s flags. Footage posted on social media shows a man painting another in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire.
Crosses appeared in Birmingham’s Kings Heath and Yardley Wood over the weekend and appeared to be a response to the Birmingham City Council taking down St George’s and Union Jack flags attached to lampposts by locals.
Flags were flown in the Weoley Cross and Northfield neighbourhoods of Birmingham in recent weeks in apparent acts of patriotism.
St George’s cross flags have also been taken down in the London borough of Tower Hamlets. Flags were spotted on the A1206 on the Isle of Dogs in the east of the capital on Monday (August 18), after campaigners attached them as part of an online movement called “Operation Raise the Colours”.
Neighbours in Manchester Road, Tower Hamlets, saw their street lined with St George’s flags at the weekend but only a few remained by Monday.
One resident, who did not want to give his name, said: “They were all along the street, lots of them. It looked nice really. It was very colourful. I saw them late on Saturday. They just appeared and only noticed they have all gone now.”
His neighbour said: “They all went up at the weekend and have come down now.”
She added that she did not feel threatened or scared, but it was definitely a “very pointed act”. The local resident, who did not want to be named, said: “It was right they should come down as I think it was after the demonstration about asylum.”
The woman said “it was not about community”, adding that normally when you see flags go up it is around a celebration or about bringing people together.
Another resident said: “It was all along the road. It was nice. There was nothing wrong with it. It went all along to the Britannia Hotel.” He added it was “good to see” because “so much today is about division” and he was “just proud of being English”.
The Britannia Hotel in Canary Wharf has been at the centre of protests over asylum seekers in recent weeks.
Asked what the Prime Minister’s view is on the councils that have removed the flags, Sir Keir’s official spokesman said on Monday: “I think the PM has always talked about his pride of being British, the patriotism he feels.
“I think he’s talked about that previously […] not least recently in relation to the Lionesses’ successful campaign in the Euros. Patriotism will always be an important thing to him.”
Asked if Sir Keir is supportive of people who put up English flags, the spokesman said: “Absolutely, patriotism, putting up English flags. We put up English flags all around Downing Street every time the English football team – women’s and men’s – are out trying to win games for us.”
Tower Hamlets Council said it has a “policy setting out which flags are flown from council buildings and on which occasions”.
In a statement, the council added: “We are aware members of the public have been putting up St George flags on various structures.
“While we recognise people wish to express their views, we have a responsibility to monitor and maintain council infrastructure.
“Where flags are attached to council-owned infrastructure without permission, they may be removed as part of routine maintenance.”
A Birmingham City Council spokesperson said: “We proudly fly the Union flag outside the Council House every day and recognise the importance of the Union flag and flag of St George as symbols of national pride.
“Brummies are proud to be British and proud that this is a welcoming city celebrating many different cultures.
“When it comes to items attached to lamp posts, it is normal council procedure for these to be removed on a regular basis, in line with our health and safety obligations.
“As has always been the case, people are free to fly or hang flags from their homes or gardens, but we ask that they are not attached to street furniture.”