Women threatened by men putting up flags, says mayor

The mayor of Church Stretton said a number of women had been threatened by men fixing union jack flags to lampposts.

Andy Munro said he had received several worrying calls from people who went to speak to those using a cherry picker to fly the flags high.

West Mercia Police said two people had raised concerns with police around an incident on 19 February involving flags being put up in the town, but said no crimes had been committed.

A local group, called Raise the Flags Shrewsbury Plus, said they were the ones to put up the flags and say they were asked to put it up because of a donation.

Some of the flags have now been removed by members of the public who say they are being used to divide them.

The appearance of the flags follows a national movement driven by anti-immigration groups since last summer, and in recent weeks more union jacks and St George's crosses have emerged in Shropshire.

The mayor said the day the flags went up almost 40 people contacted him with their concerns.

"Most particularly, we received phone calls from a number of women who had gone out to see what the commotion was, and they were threatened and abused by the people putting up the flags," he said.

"We can have the debate about the rights and wrongs of the flags, but I don't think anybody will agree that it's right under any circumstances for women alone at night to be threatened."

Church Stretton is known locally as the town of flags because it flies so many all year round, but Munro said tying up cheap and flimsy union jacks with cable ties and string was disrespectful.

Why have thousands of St George's flags gone up in cities and towns?

The flags were put up by John Cunningham, who denies anyone was threatened.

"We had a donation for Church Stretton, like we do everywhere else, and we try to get out as quick as possible," he said.

"We had a donation for specifically that area, he added. "The second flag as we put it up, on an eight to nine-foot lamp-post, this woman came out to confront us."

St George's flags grew in number as the Lionesses' Euros campaign gathered pace in July 2025.

That same month, Weoley Castle, Birmingham, had a mixture of the St George Cross and union jacks hanging from every lamp-post on many streets.

A group calling themselves the Weoley Warriors claimed responsibility, saying they were a "group of proud English men with a common goal to show Birmingham and the rest of the country of how proud we are of our history, freedoms and achievements".

Flags then started to appear on lamp-posts across the country, and groups rapidly growing on social media confirmed they were motivated by illegal immigration as much as national pride.

A Midlands-based group called Raise the Colours have been crowdfunding for flags to hang in towns and villages around the UK.

Unnamed members were among 10 British activists, dubbed "far right" by the French government, to be banned from France last month after engaging in actions to stop migrants crossing the English Channel in small boats.

Cunningham is part of a local group called Raise The Flags Shrewsbury Plus, and says they do not target anybody in particular.

He says he wants to unite people and he doesn't intend to cause division

"There is no specific place we [put flags up]," Cunningham added.

"We have been to the Muslim Centre and spoken to one of their leaders and then we went outside and did a pothole for them because we want to involve everyone in the community."

"They have invited me to a main prayer. We will not be taking flags or anything like that because that is not what we are about.

"I am going to the mosque tomorrow. You would have never would have seen me enter a mosque before these times now."

Another group, calling itself Lower The Flags Shrewsbury, said those putting up flags were intimidating and trying to create division.

In Church Stretton, flags are flown all year round, including a union jack in the town square and the war memorial cemetery.

The town council also put up flags from the Commonwealth in the summer months to promote Church Stretton Arts Festival.

"It's a very patriotic town," said Munro. "It is remarkable the number of people who turn out, for example, for events like Remembrance Sunday," he said.

"And it's also important to note we're very comfortable flying a range of flags like, Navy and Army flags on Armed Forces Day, the Ukrainian flag, the Pride flag."

He also said the town had a large veteran population, who felt the flag disrespected their service.

"The sort of things that are being put up are not good quality flags," he said.

"The union flag is one they have served under, a flag that some of their colleagues have died under.

"They're saying: 'Look at the way that those flags are being tied up with bits of string and cable ties, just left uncropped, and it's disgusting that you have that sort of disrespect'."

Residents were split about what the new union jacks meant.

"We're all-inclusive Britain and a lot of these people who are demonstrating against [the flag] and saying they don't want the flags up, it's just trying to divide," said resident David Marham.

"If I went to live in Italy, I'd love them to put out the Italian flag because that's that's their country and that is the same with every other country - they should be all permitted to flag their own flags.

"It's a democracy people can have their own opinion, that's fine, but don't try and divide people."

However, Wendy Davis said: "Normally we put flags up and it's good because it's varied."

"During the summer, you have all the Commonwealth flags come out and the union jacks - that is welcome but not particular ones against the refugees and immigrants."

Church Stretton Town Council said it "operates a clear and established flag flying policy", which governed the official raising of flags at appropriate locations throughout the town.

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