'Patriotism should start with looking after your community'

COUNCILLOR SAYS HE FELT INTIMIDATED AFTER CONFRONTING MEN WHO WERE PUTTING ENGLAND FLAGS ON LAMPPOSTS

- By LIAM THORP

A LIVERPOOL councillor says he was followed by three men and filmed in an "intimidating" manner after he confronted a group who were putting up England flags in his community.

Cllr Alan Gibbons is the leader of the Your Party political group on the council and represents the Orrell Park ward in north Liverpool.

Cllr Gibbons, who famously defeated Labour to win his seat as an independent in 2023, said he was out on a litter pick on Saturday morning when he was informed by local residents that there was a group of men going around the area putting up St George's flags.

He told the ECHO: "I was doing a litter pick and someone came up to me and asked if I had seen that Orrell Park had been covered in flags."

Cllr Gibbons said he caught up with the group in the nearby Walton Vale area and confronted them. He said: "There were three of them using a ladder to put the flags up on lampposts.