Council workers fearful for their own safety after 'threatening abuse' when removing flags
As councils across the country are undertaking efforts to remove flags from public property, Sheffield Council has revealed that staff are facing abuse as they simply do their jobs.
Over the past year, neighbourhoods have been plastered with national flags as part of what supporters have described as a mass patriotic movement.
It has seen flags tied to lampposts and bridges, while some are usimg spray-paint to daub the St George’s Cross on everything from bus shelters to roundabouts.
In Sheffield, this has seen some street signs become nearly illegible after they were used as a canvas for such spray-painting.
And while some have welcomed this change, describing it as a sign of national pride, it has not been without controversy.
Organisers involved in the likes of ‘Operation Raise the Colours’ have been linked to the far right, while spray-painting incidents face criticism from locals who feel it’s detrimental to public property.
Sheffield City Council has previously said it will be removing flags workers come across as part of routine maintenance works.
The council has now confirmed to The Star that workers have removed flags from eight locations.
While this entails additional costs in other councils, the nature of the local authority's contract with highway maintenance company Amey means that this work is absorbed in the regular fees and has not resulted in any additional spending.
However, this work has caused problems for staff, as they have faced abuse while on the job, the council said.
The authority told The Star that Amey operatives going about their jobs have encountered ‘verbal and threatening abuse’ when removing flags.
The council has also raised security concerns as members of the public have threatened to film workers and share their images across social media.
In a statement released on September 4, a spokesperson for Sheffield Council said: “Sheffield City Council welcomes people flying flags on private property and recognise there are many reasons to fly flags such as a celebration of community, national pride and our many sporting events.
“However, unauthorised items will be removed from public property in due course as part of routine maintenance. Any unauthorised items which pose a safety risk will be removed as a priority.
“Should any flags need to be removed they will be retained and stored in a safe location.”