Row over English flags ‘lowering tone of village’

St George’s Cross flags that have been put up in Staindrop have been branded as bringing down the tone of the village.

At least three people wrote to Staindrop Parish Council to complain about the England flags that went up “under the cover of darkness” earlier this month.

Parish council clerk Judith Mashiter told members at their latest meeting that the letter writers want the flags removed.

She added: “They were staggered that they were put up under cover of darkness.

“My advice to you is that this isn’t a parish council matter. The flags are all on streetlighting columns which are Durham County Council’s responsibility.

“We can ask Durham County Council to consider the people’s views that they want these flags removed.”

However, she noted that in the past the county council had issued a statement on flags and safety.

Chairman Cllr Simon Howard said residents should be told the parish council was not approached about, nor approved, the flags going up.

He added: “I don’t want people looking at it and thinking that is what the parish is spending our money on.”

Cllr Ed Chicken said: “Can I support the concerns of residents. I can’t see any support among anybody who will put their head above the parapet.

“We have a conservation area right through the middle of the village and this brings the tone of it down completely.

“If people want to fly a flag, I would love someone to come here and put a proposal for a flagpole on the village green, like the people did at Copley, officially, without these pound-shop pennants being stuck on with zip-ties.”

He added that people who put them up were “hiding behind the World Cup”.