'Batman' joins councillor putting up Union flags

Union flags have been tied to lamp-posts around Bryn town centre in Wigan by an independent councillor and a man dressed as Batman.

Councillor Steve Jones, who represents Bryn with Ashton-in-Makerfield North on Wigan Council, said the display is about "being proud of our country" rather than making a political statement.

"We're just trying to keep it simple here in Bryn," he told the BBC. "It's a good time to celebrate our country and its history. It's about pride, not politics."

Jones said he had initially asked the council to fly the Union flag from public buildings including the local leisure centre and library, but his request was refused.

An earlier set of flags which Jones had fixed to railings was later torn down by unknown individuals, he added.

He said the latest display was put up with help from local business owner and window cleaner Jonny Speakman, who wore a Batman costume "to add a bit of fun", while Jones held the ladder.

Wigan Council set out its general position on flags on 3 September this year.

The authority says it proudly flies the Union flag under established protocols, and that residents are free to display flags on private property.

It adds that flags or street painting in public areas must not create safety risks or cause criminal damage, and that removals and clean-ups can incur public costs.

Jones said the council's director of highways had confirmed by email that flags placed by residents on street furniture would not be removed. The BBC has approached Wigan Council for comment.

The councillor said the flags are intended to tie in with the run-up to Remembrance Sunday, with poppy displays to follow.

Jones, who was first elected in 2016, said a recent social media poll drew his "biggest ever" response in favour of flying the Union flag in Bryn.

He acknowledged flying the national flag can get caught up in wider political arguments, but said he was motivated by "local pride".

"Rightly or wrongly, the flag has been pulled into that [immigration] argument," he said.

"Everyone has their views on national policy, but this is about local pride."