An organiser behind a recent trend of England and Union flags being raised across the country has said it is being done to restore "civic pride" in Britain.
Flag-raising teams have been spotted in towns and cities across the country.
But not all areas have approved the surge in patriotic flags, with local authorities such as Tower Hamlets and Birmingham tearing down the flags.
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Joseph Moulton, an organiser with Flag Force UK, told GB News that the group wanted to make a "positive impact" rather than just "complaining on social media".
"For us, raising the flag and tidying the local area is about mobilising the community, rekindling social responsibility, and restoring pride in where we live.
"In recent years, especially since Covid, the loss of pubs and communal spaces, and the pressures of the cost of living, people have become more atomised and insular.
"Combined with wider social and economic difficulties, it is clear we need to start taking responsibility for our communities and making a positive impact, rather than just complaining on social media."
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Flag Force UK Joseph Moulton said raising the flag is about 'restoring pride' in where you live
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He added: "Ultimately, around the world, people fly their flag with pride and no one bats an eye. We have the same right to do so while using the attention it gets to spur on positive action."
Mr Moulton spoke exclusively to GB News as flags were brought down in York.
One local resident told the People's Channel that a cherry picker was used to bring down the flags.
Flag Force UK said it "suspects" Labour-run York City Council is behind the removal of the flags and called for them to be returned.
"They are legally ours, bought and paid for by local people, the group wrote to X.
Flags have been removed from the streets of York
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"The council have no right to seize them. We demand their immediate return – York’s pride belongs to its people."
York City Council confirmed it would remove flags which had been put up beside York racecourse - but didn't currently plan to take down others.
A spokesperson said: "We have no plans in place to remove flags that have been put up recently by members of the public.
"The one exception is on a short stretch of road beside York racecourse – and that’s because of a number of high-profile events this week.
“We do, however, have some serious concerns about the safety of people doing this without the appropriate approvals or equipment.
Hundreds of flags have been put on display in Weoley Castle, Birmingham
| X"Scaling a lamppost with a ladder puts you at risk directly, but it can also be dangerous for people walking or using the road too. We use cherry pickers when doing work on lampposts to keep everyone safe.
“There’s a proper process for requesting banners, signs or flags to be added to lampposts, working alongside our colleagues from Make It York.
"This means that we know where it’s safe to add advertising, for example, because the lampposts have been properly tested to check the weight they can bear."
Hundreds of Union Jack and St George's flags have sprung up in cities across the country as part of an online movement called "Operation Raise the Colours".
This includes in Birmingham, where flags were initially spotted in the Weoley Castle area with the help of a community group, which has called itself the "Weoley Warriors".
The city council however sparked fury when it said it is working to remove flags from lampposts, citing safety concerns and plans to improve street lighting.
In a later statement, the Labour-led authority stated that it "recognises the importance" of the Union Jack and St George's flags as "symbols of national pride", adding it was "normal procedure" for items attached to lampposts to be removed.
Residents in Birmingham have now turned to painting the St George's cross on mini-roundabouts in the city.
The St George's cross has been painted on mini-roundabouts across the city | TURNING POINT UK/FACEBOOKTower Hamlets Council in east London has meanwhile vowed to remove flags which had been put up as part of the patriotism campaign "as soon as possible".
A spokesman for the Aspire Party led council said: "We are aware members of the public have been putting up St George's flags on various structures.
"While we recognise people wish to express their views, we have a responsibility to monitor and maintain council infrastructure."
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