Flag collection turned into a 'waste of time' for those behind the campaign

THOSE TURNING UP TO COLLECT FLAGS REMOVED BY THE COUNCIL LEFT WITHOUT THEM AS ARRANGEMENTS ARE STILL BEING MADE TO ALLOW THEIR SAFE RETURN

- By ZENA HAWLEY

PEOPLE trying to retrieve flags that Derby City Council have removed were turned away without them when they tried to collect them from the Council House in Derby last Friday.

Two weeks ago, the city council said it would remove any St George or Union flags hanging on public property such as lampposts from Monday, September 29, and then would keep them at the Council House, where people could collect them.

But Damien Harris, who with a friend has put up around 300 flags in the Allenton and Shelton Lock areas, found he was unable to collect them when he arrived at the Council House last Friday.

He said: “I was told they would not be releasing the flags until there was an official announcement about it. This wasn’t mentioned before and it was a waste of time and effort going along to collect them - I was left waiting for about an hour for what was a waste of time.”