Flags on Bristol lamp posts fall to 371 as dozens taken down in a week
Council chair says city has 'turned a corner'
Dozens of flags have been taken down from lamp posts in Bristol in the past week, with the total now at 371.
That is down from a high of more than 1,000 in June, according to Bristol City Council's counts.
The flags were first put up by activists across the country in summer last year as part of the Raise the Colours campaign.
England flags and Union Jack flags were spotted in Bristol areas including Bedminster and Southmead.
An update on the latest figures was given to councillors on the public health and communities policy committee on Monday, 19th October.
People in Bristol had previously called on the committee to act faster on removing the flags, saying they felt unsafe.
What the committee chair said
Liberal Democrat councillor Stephen Williams, chair of the public health committee, said: "Actually I think we've turned a corner and the number of flags is now steadily coming down week to week. Back in June we had a high point of over 1,000 flags that we counted that were on the city's lamp posts. 49 were removed just last week and we're now down to 371 flags."
He also said: "It goes up and down in parts of the city. But the trend is now positive and I want to gradually see all of those flags on public property removed. But I do think as a city and as a country, we do need to perhaps be more proud of our flags as symbols of national unity, and display them more properly at public buildings, as we do all the time here at City Hall."
Divided views on the flags
The campaigners behind the flags say they are a symbol of national pride and unity.
Others say they represent a growing anti-immigrant sentiment, and some people have called them xenophobic.
Petitioners previously told the committee that putting flags on lamp posts was "insidiously racist" and makes people "feel scared".
Approach compared with other areas
The council has taken a softer approach to removing the flags than other councils.
Oxfordshire County Council recently won a High Court injunction prohibiting flags on public railings or lamp posts.
Anyone breaching the order could face prison or a fine.
Cllr Williams added: "Nobody should be doing that. It's public property and nobody should be claiming that as their own property to display whatever political symbols they wish to."