Council will not get into flag wars, says leader

Tory Kay Mason Billig said she did not want council staff to be put at risk

Union and St George's cross flags will continue to fly on Norfolk's street lamps and other fixtures unless they are a hazard or breaking laws, the leader of the county council has said.

Conservative Kay Mason Billig said Norfolk County Council would not send staff out to remove flags if it meant putting them in "potential conflict".

She was questioned at a full council meeting on Thursday as to whether flags erected without permission would be taken down.

Meanwhile, Norfolk Police has said it will not remove flags unless there is "other criminality attached" to the display.

St George's and Union flags have been increasingly found lining streets across England, including in Norwich.

Resident groups have said they want to spread joy and national pride, but others have said the displays are intimidating.

Kay Mason Billig says the authority will only remove items attached to street furniture if they are illegal or unsafe

At Thursday's meeting, Labour councillor John Ward asked: "There have been a lot of reports about flag installations and safety.

"Given the strong feelings in the community, how is the council responding to this?"

Mason Billig replied: "We need to have common sense in this and not allow ourselves to be dragged into a divisive issue which is causing division in our county.

"For me flying a national flag symbolises my pride in my country and I won't allow anyone to tell me I can't fly my flags.

"What this council's going to do is not get involved in any flag wars."

But she said the council would not condone the use of threatening or inciteful behaviour and any reports would be taken "extremely seriously".

She continued: "We don't condone anyone who attaches anything without authorisation [but] we aren't going to send our staff out and put them in potential conflict.

"So how items are removed are entirely down to several factors; cost, resource and safety.

"So as we go around doing our normal maintenance work if there is anything affixed to our street furniture it will be removed in the normal way."

In a statement Norfolk Police posted on social media on Thursday, the force said flags fixed to lamp-posts had resulted in several calls to its control room.

It said it would only remove flags from public street furniture if the flag was defaced to include illegal content or created a safety hazard.

A spokesperson added: "The flying of a nation's flag is not, in its own right, illegal unless there is any other criminality attached to that display.

"Officers have no reason to interfere with personal displays of flags on private property as long as there is no criminal or planning regulation breaches.

"Where allegations have been made about criminal activity, we will review any relevant evidence and take action where there is a legal basis to do so."

Council leader Kay Mason Billig says the authority will not fly the Palestinian flag, as requested by Green councillor Paul Neale

Green councillor Paul Neale asked Mason Billig if the authority would fly a Palestinian flag.

He recalled how County Hall previously raised a Ukrainian flag from the building, and pointed out that the UK government recently recognised the Palestinian state.

"I feel it would be most appropriate especially as the patron saint of England, St George, was half Palestinian and his mother St Polychronia came from Palestine," said Neale.

Mason Billig replied: "No. We won't be flying that flag from this building."

'Unwelcome in communities'

An increasing number of St George's flags were noticed in mid-July in Weoley Castle in Birmingham, which was believed to be in response to a 12-year-old girl being prevented from giving a speech about being British at her school.

The subsequent Weoley Warriors group encouraged flags to be put up and told the BBC "we really hope it brightens your day and brings joy and love".

A group named Operation Raise the Colours has encouraged people to put up flags, and the Times has reported that the group accepted a donation from far-right organisation Britain First.

A spokesperson from Bristol charity Stand Against Racism and Inequality has said that while not every flag was put up "with the intent to divide", they "are making some minoritised people feel less safe, intimidated, and unwelcome in their communities".