A councillor claims she was threatened with rape following a council's decision to remove Union Jack and St George's flags from its streets.
Labour-run Derby City Council said it would begin taking down flags from public spaces including lampposts and bridges from Monday, September 29.
Councillor Sarah Chambers announced the move, saying it was "time to bring this campaign of flag flying to an end".
Thousands of Union Jack and St George's flags have sprung up in towns and cities across Britain as part of "Operation Raise the Colours".
However, Councillor Chambers now claims she has received threats including that she is "going to be raped".
According to the BBC, she said: "I've been threatened for doing my job. I've been subjected to personal insults about my appearance and size for doing my job.
"I've been warned not to go to football matches or pubs in the city because I won't be safe for doing my job.
"Some of those threats have gone way too far this time and obviously being shouted at that I'm going to be raped for raping them of the flag is not acceptable in any way, shape or form."
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Derby City Council has said it will begin removing flags from lampposts from Monday
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She added that her family had requested she take a step back from her councillor duties over concerns for her safety.
In a post on social media yesterday, she said she needed to "put myself and my family before my role".
"To the people who have subjected me to some abhorrent names, threats and lies, I hope your family members are never subjected to anything like that at all," Councillor Chambers wrote.
"To the hundreds of people who have text, called, messaged and emailed from across the city and other parts of the country-thank you."
Councillor Sarah Chambers said she needed to 'put myself and my family before my role' in a post to Facebook yesterday
|DERBY CITY COUNCIL
In a separate Facebook post, she wrote: "If you agree that I should be 'raped for raping you of your flag', you should come with a warning.
"Remove yourself immediately from my page! ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! I don’t know who it was, it was shouted from a car and it all happened so quickly, otherwise the police have been informed."
A police spokesman said: "We received reports of a public order incident on Monday, September 22, when threats were shouted at a woman by a man in a car. The incident occurred between 5pm and 5.30pm in Elton Road, Derby.
"Investigations are ongoing and we would encourage anyone with any information to contact us on to contact us on 101, quoting the reference 25*561154."
Pedestrian crossings have even been decorated with the symbol of St George in some parts of the country as part of the flag movement
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Upon announcing the planned removal of the flags earlier this week, Councillor Chambers said they needed to be cleared from lampposts for "future seasonal and commemorative events".
"We would like to offer everyone who has raised a flag on public land the opportunity to retrieve them in a safe manner, during the next week," she said.
"Any individual choosing to remove flags does so at their own risk, and we would strongly discourage any action that may compromise personal safety, particularly where height or equipment is involved.
"Responsibility for such actions lies entirely with the individual concerned.
"From Monday, September 29, Derby City Council will start removing any items from public spaces and street furniture. Any left up after this date will be stored at Derby City Council."
GB News has contacted Derby City Council for comment.