Ilfracombe Town Council is aware of the recent spate of St George “flag” vandalism in the town. The Council wishes to make clear that it does not condone any damage to either personal or public property and urges all residents to respect our shared spaces and community assets. This incident has been reported directly to the police and we would encourage others to do the same via the North Devon Council website or Ilfracombe Report It!
While we recognise and respect the importance of national flags as a symbol of pride and identity, it is important that they are displayed in line with government guidance. Full details of how flags can be flown legally and appropriately can be found in the Government’s plain English guide here:
👉 Flying Flags: A Plain English Guide
Devon County Council has also issued the following statement on this matter:
“We will always support those who wish to express their patriotism and fly the nation’s flags on their own homes, however, we do ask the public not to fly flags, or paint them, on publicly owned property without first seeking the permission of the relevant authority.
Doing so could breach the Highways Act and pose a risk to road users should they obstruct visibility, be a distraction or become loose.
We may remove any flags that have been hung from lampposts without permission or if we consider them to be unlawful.
Anyone wishing to fly a flag on property that Devon County Council is responsible for can apply at no cost through our website.”
Ilfracombe Town Council asks for the community’s cooperation in following these rules to ensure that expressions of pride and patriotism are both safe and lawful.
