Councillor reports rape threat after flag decision

Sarah Chambers says she has received threats over the decision to remove flags in Derby

A councillor has said she is fearful of leaving her home due to threats of violence and rape following a council's decision to remove flags in its public spaces.

Flags on bridges, walls and lamp-posts will be taken down from Monday to prepare for seasonal and commemorative events, Labour-run Derby City Council confirmed.

Sarah Chambers, cabinet member for public safety at the authority, wrote the statement about the decision and said while she had been used to dealing with online comments and threats, this time it had gone "way too far".

Chambers added: "I haven't been out my house for the last two days."

People have been given until Monday to remove their flags before they are stored by the council

Chambers said in the statement it was time to bring the "campaign of flag flying to an end", but that she fully supported those who chose to fly flags on their own property.

She added people who wanted to fly flags on public land or street furniture must "obtain the standard permissions".

The council said it would give those who put flags up a week to retrieve them but individuals choosing to remove items did so at their own risk.

The authority added it encouraged any residents interested in installing an official flagpole in their area to approach their councillors to discuss the process.

The flag movement has recently gathered pace on social media, under the name Operation Raise the Colours.

Those behind it said they were motivated by pride and patriotism.

Others have expressed discomfort due to tensions running high across England over immigration and the St George cross often being used to promote far-right groups.

'Not acceptable'

Chambers said she had previously been warned not to attend certain public events online.

But following the flag announcement, she said: "I've been threatened for doing my job. I've been subjected to personal insults about my appearance and size for doing my job.

"I've been warned not to go to football matches or pubs in the city because I won't be safe for doing my job.

"Some of those threats have gone way too far this time and obviously being shouted at that I'm going to be raped for raping them of the flag is not acceptable in any way, shape or form.

"The police are involved. My family would like me to step away from this public role because they are worried about my safety."

Chambers told the BBC that Derby City Council was "not preventing anyone from being as British, proud and patriotic as they want to be".

"All 51 councillors are fully aware of the Highways Act, which clearly states that attaching anything to public highway infrastructure, for example lamp-posts, bridges, is prohibited without consent," she added.

Reacting to the council's decision, leader of the Derby City Council Conservatives, Steve Hassall, previously described the move as "misguided".

"Taking them down risks inflaming tensions, not easing them. It sends out the wrong signal entirely and only deepens division rather than fostering unity," he added.

Reform UK city councillor, and leader of Derbyshire County Council, Alan Graves, said the decision was "pandering to a far-left-wing agenda and against the average resident of Derby".

In response, Chambers added: "What I'm pandering to is public safety, public liability insurance and being responsible in my role."

The city council said it encouraged any residents interested in installing an official flagpole in their area to approach their local councillors

Chambers said the council had used "flexibility and discretion" to allow residents to keep flags up temporarily.

"Some people really needed to express their frustrations for x, y and z reasons. We've allowed that. We can't allow it forever though, especially at the cost of public safety or voiding our insurance as a local authority," she added.

She said the council's insurance "could be made void" by its insurance company if flags were not taken down.

Chambers said flags need to be taken off public furniture to make space for poppies ahead of Remembrance Sunday and Christmas decorations, which "all have permission" from the council.

A Derbyshire Police spokesperson added: "We received reports of a public order incident on Monday 22 September when threats were shouted at a woman by a man in a car.

"The incident occurred between 5pm and 5.30pm in Elton Road, Derby.

"Investigations are ongoing and we would encourage anyone with any information to contact us."