City council urged to remove lamppost flags

A council has been urged to remove flags attached to lampposts and take legal action against those raising them.

An open letter to Sheffield City Council, penned by the group Sheffield Communities Against Racism and Fascism (SCARF), called the flags a "coordinated campaign of intimidation and anti-immigrant hate".

Controversy over flag-flying has been ongoing since last summer, when Union flags and St George's Crosses were fixed to lampposts across England.

Sheffield City Council has been contacted for comment.

Supporters of the flags, such as the group Raise the Colours Sheffield, have denied they are racist, calling them a symbol of patriotism and a form of protest against the government.

But in its letter, SCARF said they were "territorial markers signalling ownership of space and make non-white residents feel unsafe and unwelcome in their own communities".

Attaching flags to council-owned assets, including lampposts, is illegal without permission from the local authority under the Highways Act.

However, the removal of flags has been halted over concerns for staff safety, with a senior manager for the council's highways contractor Amey saying they were subjected to "shocking" levels of abuse.

SCARF said this reasoning was "unacceptable" because the council had "previously enforced highly unpopular policies".

"During the Streets Ahead tree-felling programme, Amey was provided with full police support and security to continue work despite public protests," it said.

"An independent report commissioned by the South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner confirmed that the programme could not have proceeded without this protection."

The group also noted that some local authorities in the UK - such as Barnsley Council - had committed to removing flags, with some also issuing fines to those who raise them.

However, other councils - such as Rotherham - have said flags would be allowed to remain in place.