Council monitoring if English and British flags may have been erected as form of intimidation, hate crime or harassment

This comes after a resident raised concerns with the Derby City Council at a meeting on Wednesday, September 17 claiming to have identified streets “where flags erected appear intended to intimidate”.

The resident had asked: “Given that these flags are unauthorised and are causing community concern, why have they not yet been removed?”

In response, Cllr Sarah Chambers, cabinet member for cost of living, equalities and communities, said: “We know that some residents have raised concerns about the flags that have been put up in parts of the city.

“Our current approach is that the council will only step in to remove flags where they pose a clear safety risk – for example, if they are blocking the highway or creating a danger to the public. We also recognise that for some people these displays can feel intimidating.

“While the council does not have unlimited powers to act in every case, we are not ignoring the issue.

“We are working closely with the police and our partners through the community safety partnership to monitor the situation and to make sure that any reports of hate crime or harassment linked to these displays are properly addressed.

“Our priority is to keep communities safe, support cohesion across the city, and make sure that residents know where they can raise concerns. Where there is evidence of risk to safety or of criminal behaviour, we will work with our partners to take the right action.”

Last month, Cllr Chambers had said in an opinion column: “At present, I have made the decision not to instruct Derby City Council to remove flags unless they present a safety hazard.

“Let’s be clear, Derby City Council are well within their rights to do so under the Highways Act 1980, Section 132.

“Why? Because doing so would play into the hands of those who want a reaction, those who want to claim their freedom is under threat and use that narrative to inflame division. “However, I do not condone criminal damage to street furniture like roundabouts, notice boards, zebra crossings, et cetera, and this will not be tolerated and reported to the relevant authorities.”

Cllr Chambers had continued: “We must also face a difficult truth: many of the recent flag displays, particularly those tied to ‘Operation Raise the Colours’, are not simply expressions of pride. They are being coordinated and amplified by figures with long-standing ties to the far-right.

“To be clear, not everyone flying a flag is far-right. Many are sincere in their patriotism. However, when extremists hijack our symbols to push their own narrative, we must ask ourselves: what are we really standing under?

“Even veterans, who wore the uniform with honour, have reached out in disgust over how national symbols are being manipulated by those who may or may not have ever served but now play dress up in the name of a political cause.

“We cannot let our flags – symbols of unity and remembrance – become banners for hate or exclusion. National pride should not come at the cost of community cohesion. It should never intimidate, marginalise or divide.”