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Mystery over high street flags installed by bogus council workers
MYSTERY surrounds the sudden appearance of dozens of Union Flags in Lymington town centre – installed by bogus New Forest District Council workers.High Street CCTV seen by the A&T shows two men wearing hi-vis jackets with ‘NFDC’ printed on the back carrying out the work around 5am on Saturday.The flags, put in the building Christmas tree holders above businesses, were also erected down the cobbles leading down to the quay.
The Union Flags were installed on the outside walls of businesses in Lymington town centre early on Saturday morning (picture: Jason Ludlow)However, New Forest District Council (NFDC) confirmed the men’s jackets seen in the pictures were not worn by its employees and has launched an investigation.“New Forest District Council has not instructed this activity, nor does it believe these individuals are employed by the council,” a spokesperson told the A&T.“We are looking into this matter further.” The early hours flag-flying comes at a time when Union and St George flags have been put up on streets across the UK.
A movement known as 'Operation Raise the Colours' has been calling for flags to be raised across the UK (picture: Jason Ludlow)This has partly been attributed to a movement known as Operation Raise the Colours, encouraging people to “show patriotism”.Its Facebook page calls for pictures of St George’s Cross, St Andrew’s Cross, Red Dragon, the Ulster Banner and Union Flags raised in towns and cities. It has denied being a far right organisation amid claims it accepted a donation from Britain First and was co-founded by Andrew Currien, otherwise known as Andy Saxon, who had alleged links with the English Defence League and Britain First.This movement had already reached areas of the New Forest, with spray painted red crosses and Union Flags placed on roundabouts without permission.
The flags were also put on the cobbles (picture: Jason Ludlow)As reported by the A&T, Hampshire County Council warned the unauthorised daubings would be “prioritised for immediate removal”.Lymington was among areas targeted, with roundabouts on Rookes Lane and Alexandra Road vandalised with red spray paint to look like the England flag. The actions also coincide with escalating tensions surrounding the issue of asylum seekers being accommodated at hotels.
The roundabout on Rookes Lane, Lymington, was vandalisedThere have been many protests outside hotels across the country, with reports of intimidating behaviour and violent clashes with the police.Residents have show a raft of support for the flags in online posts, with some welcoming the “patriotic” display.One argued there was no better time than now for such action.“It brings everyone together, gives them something to be proud of,” they wrote. “Especially with what's going [on] not only in this country but worldwide.”One complained that such displays were called “racist or right wing”, but another person replied: “Sadly, that’s because certain forms of patriotism have been high jacked by racist bigots claiming it for themselves and who don’t know what being a patriot is.”One of the town’s businesses even called for a flag to be installed there as its front wall holder had been missed out.Lymington & Pennington Town Council’s projects and events officer, Elliott Walker, told the A&T the authority had only recently sought the businesses’ consent to place Christmas trees in the holders later this year.
NFDC has launched an investigation (picture: Jason Ludlow)“We would have hoped that anyone would have asked the businesses for permission like we did,” he said. Asked whether the town council would be removing the flags, Mr Walker said this would be a matter for NFDC.“We don’t have any enforcement ability,” he explained. It would have to be done by NFDC.Mr Walker added: “We don’t know why they were put up.“It could have been for VJ Day or other reasons. We couldn’t comment on what someone else has done.”The A&T has contacted mayor and town and district councillor Colm McCarthy for comment.