Flags row Council facing petitions from both sides

THE debate about St George and Union flags being hung from lampposts in and around Bristol has now moved into the world of online petitions, with pressure growing on Bristol City Council to follow the lead of South Gloucestershire and make a decision to take the flags down.

- Tristan CORK

One petition calls on City Hall chiefs to take the flags down, while another has been set up calling on Bristol and South Gloucestershire to let them stay.

Bristol City Council has taken a largely neutral stance on the presence of flags on lampposts in the past six weeks or so. Questions about the council's policy have been directed to a blog from council leader Tony Dyer. In a lengthy post on the council's website in late August explaining his and the council's position which criticised the use of the flag to 'sow division and hate, he said flags would only be removed 'as a last resort'.