To me the flag simply means being English ...& I am very proud of that

Star hits out at far-right activists

- BY ZOE DELANEY

HE is as English as rainy days, sticky pub floors and fish ‘n’ chips - and Ross Kemp has no intention of letting the far-right claim his beloved St George's Cross.

The actor and documentary maker has been dismayed to see the English flag being used as a rallying point for the right in recent weeks.

At the Unite the Kingdom rally last weekend, thousands waved the flag while chanting offensive slogans directed at immigrants and Muslims.

But EastEnders legend Ross says: "If it’s hijacked by other people for their means, then that’s entirely up to them, but that’s not what it means to me.

"It just means being English. I'm very proud of being English.

"It's on the back of an English football shirt, it's on the back of a rugby shirt. It's what athletes, whatever their colour or whatever their religion, wear when they're winning an Olympic medal. So as far as I'm concerned, it's the mainstream. It’s a flag that represents the mainstream."

GROUNDBREAKING

Ross made his EastEnders debut as Grant Mitchell 35 years ago and has since travelled the world through his Bafta-winning documentary work.

So when it came to looking for a host to present 40 Years on the Square, a show celebrating EastEnders' anniversary earlier this year, he was the perfect fit.