Liberal Democrat-led council spends almost £15K on removing UK flags

Mr Walker, the Tory Councillor for the Hanborough & Hailey ward, said he received an email from the council revealing the staggering cost.

The council has previously warned placing flags or painting them on or near highways can create "serious safety hazards."

Flags had gone up across Oxfordshire over the summer, which split opinions across the county when they were first raised.

Liberal Democrat county councillor for Abingdon North Nathan Ley said they were being put up to be "loud and provocative."

He said: "For many others, they just look messy - paint splashed on the road, plastic tied to lamp posts, left to fray and blow into the gutters.

"It’s not pride, it’s often a safety hazard. And the council ends up footing the bill to clear it up."

Among the areas where flags have been placed in Oxfordshire include around the Headington Roundabout in Oxford and in towns such as Abingdon, Didcot and Wantage.

Meanwhile, Mr Walker said he thought that the amount spent showed a "complete overreaction".

He directly pointed the blame at the council, suggesting "only a Lib Dem council could justify" this expenditure.

Mr Walker said: "I’m genuinely shocked that Oxfordshire County Council has already spent more than £15,000 removing flags from lamp posts.

"This feels like a complete over-reaction, especially at a time when residents are battling just to get basic pothole repairs done.

"Anyone who has reported a pothole knows how slow and frustrating the process can be.

"Yet if there’s a Union flag on a lamp post, the council seems able to act quickly and decisively.

Mr Walker continued: "I can think of far better things that £15,000 could have been spent on, fixing dangerous roads, supporting frontline services, or easing pressure on stretched budgets that really matter to local people.

"Priorities matter. Right now, it feels like they’re badly misplaced."

A spokesman from Oxfordshire County Council said: "As a council, we proudly fly both the Union Jack and St George’s flags. We also welcome residents displaying flags on their own property.

"However, placing flags or painting them on or near highways can create serious safety hazards. These include reduced visibility for drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians, and increased risk of distraction.

The spokesman continued, saying they would be "stepping up" the removal of flags, adding: "In addition, installing flags on street furniture or near roads can lead to personal injury or property damage. For these reasons, we strongly advise people against doing so.

"To keep everyone safe, our teams have been removing flags and other unauthorised attachments from streetlights during routine maintenance or where they pose an immediate risk.

"Each case will be assessed based on the level of risk, with priority given to those that pose an immediate risk.

"Our overarching priority is to keep our roads and public spaces safe for everyone."

Last year, a police chief caused outrage after she claimed raising St George's flags and Union Jacks in public were "intimidating".

Chairwoman of the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners (APCC) Emily Spurrell blasted "Operation Raise the Colours" at a national conference on Tuesday.

Raising flags is "disturbing, intimidating and does not reflect British values", Ms Spurrell argued, suggesting raising the flags was "sowing fear" and "fuelling division", while Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is "demonising communities" with her asylum crackdown.

"Operation Raise the Colours" is a movement which claims to boost patriotism in Britain, although many have criticised the campaign over concerns of stirring up hatred and fuelling division.