Portsmouth residents urged to not "take matters into their own hands" as concerns raised of flags
Councillors are raising concerns of the Union Jack and St George's Cross flags around the city
Portsmouth residents are being urged not to "take matters into their own hands" as councillors raise concerns over city flags seen across the city.
At a recent Portsmouth City Council scrutiny panel meeting, councillors discussed an ongoing review into police responses, following complaints from residents and business owners about lengthy wait times.
The review aims to build a clearer picture of police performance and how calls from the public are prioritised.
Anti-social behaviour dominated the discussion, with members exploring what the council could do to address issues across the city.
One topic raised was the growing number of flags — a trend seen nationally, with Union Jacks and St George’s Crosses attached to lampposts or spray-painted onto road markings.
The surge has been linked to a grassroots campaign called Operation Raise the Colours, launched in Birmingham by a group known as the Weoley Warriors. Supporters describe the initiative as a way of promoting patriotic pride, national identity, and unity.
Opponents argue the flags have been politicised, pointing to their association with far-right groups and recent anti-immigration protests over the summer.
Baffins councillor Leonie Oliver said her ward is “smothered” with Union Jack and St George’s Cross flags. She told colleagues that residents “are not seeing a response by police or the council” and have asked whether they should take “matters into their own hands”.
“My response was please don’t, because that won’t go well,” she said.
Cllr Oliver added that she had confronted someone attaching a flag to a lamppost and “in jest” asked whether they were supporting the women’s England rugby team or “they were really late for the Lionesses”.
“I was met with expletives,” she added.
She urged officers to consider what action the council could take, stressing that lampposts are council-owned infrastructure. She also said she finds the flag displays “incredibly offensive”.
Caroline Hopper, the council’s corporate projects manager, called for more mutual respect, urging people to “listen to one another regardless of each other’s views”.
She said behaviour around flags is often “seeped in their own concerns around safety or fear” and added: “We need to think about what we do together as a community, rather than singling out one element of our community and suggesting that by eradicating that we would have fixed everything.”
However, she clarified that it is not council policy to remove flags from lampposts unless they pose a safety risk. Flags spray-painted onto road markings, she confirmed, will be removed because they breach highway laws.
Labour councillor Asghar Shagh said he had seen flags obscuring road signs in Hilsea and in his Cosham ward, and had received complaints from residents and even a bus driver.