Council relaunches crackdown on Union Jacks after public fury forced staff to stop tearing flags down

Sheffield City Council has relaunched its crackdown on Union Jacks after public fury forced staff to stop tearing the flags down.

In December, the authority axed its campaign to remove flags tied to "public highway infrastructure without permission" after contractors came under fire from local residents.

During a council meeting, Emma Windle, who manages the street cleaning for Sheffield City Council's highways contractor Amey, said her workers had been inundated with "a lot of abuse".

She told councillors: "I decided I'd support the team and go out with them last Friday to remove flags from Christmas light illumination points.

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"It was quite shocking how we were treated by the public. It was very threatening and very aggressive."

The issue was raised at the meeting by councillor Mark Rusling, who voiced his "solidarity" with the workers who faced the brunt of the public backlash.

"No one should be intimidated, attacked or subject to aggression in any way just for going about their jobs," he added.

But now, the authority will resume its crackdown, with flags which present a safety risk or contain "offensive material" being prioritised for removal, a Sheffield City Council spokesman confirmed.

Resident Paul Wimpeney questioned the council's decision to suspend the removals during a meeting last week, according to the BBC.

He said: "Why then, in some parts of the city, are ostentatious displays of the Union Jack being used by those wishing to create division between people, suggesting to some communities that they are not welcome?

"Lampposts are council property. Nothing should be attached to them that contradicts the policy and nature of the city."

Council leader Fran Belbin told Mr Wimpeney it is against the law for flags to be attached to infrastructure without permission.

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She said: "At present, removals are limited to situations where there is an immediate public safety risk, where items meet the council's criteria for offensive content, or where deterioration is creating a hazard.

"Over the course of the year, our intention is to continue removing unauthorised attachments in line with this approach."

Flags bearing offensive or "harmful" messaging are fast-tracked to be torn down, usually within a day.

National flags, including the Union Jack and St George's Cross, without messaging are deemed "non-offensive" by the authority.

A spokesman for the council said: "A defined set of criteria is used to assess offensive content, including offensive language, hate statements, or insulting or inciting messaging."

The restart of the removals come as a slew of councils have banned England flags from being hung on public property during the World Cup to protect "community cohesion".

Bristol City Council (BCC), South Gloucestershire Council and Wiltshire Council banned flags from being flown in any publicly-owned spaces before the major tournament in North America began.

Bristolians were told report any instances of flags being adorned on public property to the authorities, while South Gloucestershire Council insisted the rules would ensure the area maintains "a welcoming and cohesive community feel".

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