White horse checked for any damage caused by flag

Westbury Town Council said it was aware of the incident

A white horse carved into a hillside is being checked for damage after it was temporarily turned into a St George's flag.

Red fabric draped over the Westbury White Horse has now been removed, after being reported to English Heritage earlier.

The body said it would assess whether the 175ft (53m) tall Wiltshire landmark had been damaged by pegs used to secure the fabric.

It is not clear who put the ribbon up or why - but it is not the first time this has happened. In 2018, red plastic was put up on the monument ahead of the England men's football World Cup semi-final match.

Thousands of St George's flags have appeared across England in recent months.

While some football fans were flying them to cheer on the Lionesses during the 2025 Euros, many more flags have gone up in recent weeks.

Some groups responsible for putting them up have told BBC News they are motivated by pride and patriotism.

But some people have said it feels provocative at a time when tensions are running high across England over the issue of immigration.

The Westbury White Horse is carved into a chalk hillside

An English Heritage spokesperson said: "The red fabric which was attached to the Westbury White Horse has been removed.

"We're now assessing whether any damage - for instance, from pegs - has been caused to this much-loved historic landmark."

Westbury Town Council said it was aware of the incident and Wiltshire Police said no criminal offences were thought to have been committed and the force was not investigating.

English Heritage confirmed the fabric has been removed from the hillside landmark, which is around 175ft (53m) high

Westbury's white horse is said to be the oldest in Wiltshire. It was restored in 1778, but many believe it is much older than that.

Local records suggest the horse originally appeared in the late 1600s, probably to commemorate the supposed Battle of Ethandun.

The horse originally had to be scoured to keep it white, with the last recorded scouring taking place in 1853.

In the 1950s, it was covered in white-painted concrete but this turned grey and was replaced in 1993.

There have been further cleaning and repainting rounds in 2011, 2016 and 2018.

In 2023, an extensive clean and repair round of work took place. This involved a conservation team abseiling down the steep face of the horse.