A Carlisle man has been ordered to take down his St George’s cross – because he tied it to a council-owned lamp-post.
Ian Wildey, 57, hoisted the flag up the lamp-post outside his home, in Levens Drive, Morton, last week in honour of St George’s Day.
But, on Monday, Mr Wildey said that council workers turned up with a cherry picker and demanded that he take the flag down.
Carlisle City Council said that Mr Wildey, a former soldier who now works as a taxi driver in the city, was asked to remove the flag because he hadn’t asked for permission to put it up.
A council spokeswoman said: “We received a call asking if we had given permission for the flag to be flown from the lamp-post.
“We consider applications for signage on lamp-posts based on Cumbria County Council’s guidance to make sure that drivers are not affected.
“Our records show that permission had not been given which is why we asked that the flag be removed.”
But Mr Wildey, who has lived in his home for the past 25 years, said he has never been told to take his flag – which measures 5ft by 3ft – down before.
“I put it up to show patriotism,” he explained.
“I’m ex-army and St George’s Day is a special day.
“I’ve lived here for 25 years and I’ve been putting it up all that time and I’ve never been told to take it down before. I put lights up at Christmas time and we raised £600 for the hospice this year.
“I think it’s disgusting that I had to take it down, you should be able to fly a flag anywhere.”
source:
http://www.newsandstar.co.uk/news/
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