Cross words Flag painting campaign costs council £6k

'PATRIOTIC' vandals who painted the St George's Cross on road markings across North Somerset have cost the council enough money to fill 200 potholes.

- John WIMPERIS

The council’s cabinet member for highways, Hannah Young, told a council meeting that repainting road markings and taking down flags had to date cost the council £6,000.

She said: “What could we do with £6,000? Well, we could fill 200 potholes which personally I would prefer to see us doing rather than having to repaint over vandalised roads.”

She was responding to a question from councillor Helen Thornton who called the flags “part of a far right campaign called Operation Raise the Colours,” and warned that Black and ethnic minority communities may have been intimidated.

‘A Facebook group titled Operation Raise the Colours says its campaign is about patriotism but its origins have links to some far right activists.

Cllr Thornton said: “Regardless of the motivations of these actions, they also constitute vandalism or antisocial behaviour.