Fake letter claims flagpoles to be installed in Worcestershire
County council confirms the letter is not genuine
A letter circulating online falsely suggests that Worcestershire County Council will fund the installation of British flagpoles and flags at roundabouts and other locations.
The Worcester Patriots Facebook page shared the image of a letter claiming to originate from the council's communications office.
The document features the council's logo and mimics redaction marks but lacks an official signature and details a project previously dismissed by the council.
Worcestershire County Council spokesperson stated: “We can confirm that the letter being shared on social media regarding funding of flag poles is fake and is not an official letter from the council.”
They emphasised the seriousness of circulating fake information and have taken steps to address the issue through official channels.
The alleged £70,000 expenditure claims were initially fact-checked by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, revealing no evidence to support such a project.
City councillor Ed Kimberley identified several discrepancies confirming the letter's inauthenticity, citing the pledged sum's resemblance to a similar Nottingham project and questioning the timing after recent tax hikes.
Kimberley commented on the spread of disinformation: “Disinformation works on the basis of getting you to react first, think later. And this is clearly doing that to people on both sides of the aisle.”
The roundabouts, Kimberley noted, will likely remain unchanged, except for remnants from a prior operation, “Operation Raise the Colours.”