Council's clean-up warning for St George's crosses

Red crosses first began appearing on mini-roundabouts in Birmingham last weekend

A council has warned residents not to paint the St George's cross on public property amid a grassroots nationwide drive to display British and English flags.

Oldham Council spoke out after the symbols appeared in several locations around Greater Manchester, including on a roundabout in Fitton Hill.

Three roundabouts in Trafford and road junctions in Sale were also graffitied.

The local authority has warned against the practice, especially on road markings where they could pose a danger to motorists and pedestrians.

A representative said: "As a council, we are proud to fly the Union flag every day, and we of course support free expression – including the flying of flags from private homes and businesses.

"However, painting flags over public property is illegal."

'Safety issue'

The council said marking roads and roundabouts is a criminal offence under Section 132 of the Highways Act 1980.

It added: "It costs public money to repair the damage, which could be better spent on vital services.

"It also presents a safety issue on roundabouts, which have strict guidance on how they should look.

"It is important that we honour the Union and St George's flags and fly them properly – spraying them on the ground does not do them justice."

Those responsible for painting the St George's flags in other areas of the country have claimed they were motivated by "pride and patriotism".

However, Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham last week suggested that some people painting the crosses might be "seeking confrontation".

He said: "You can obviously display a flag if that's your choice but I don't know, I do wonder about the times we're living in.

"If people want to display it, fine on their own property, but I don't think you've got the right to go out and paint public property."