Legal letter sent from Northamptonshire rights and equality charity challenges council’s position on lamp-post flags

The challenge has been issued through a solicitor’s letter sent to the council on behalf of the Northamptonshire Rights and Equality Council (NREC), with copies also sent to the county’s Chief Constable and the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner - as NREC says they too have a role to play in dealing with the effects of anti-social behaviour caused by the illegal erecting of flags.

It follows the results of their survey in which a ‘large percentage’ of respondents said they feel intimidated by the mass public display of national flags, put up under the cover of darkness without consent in Kettering.

NREC is legally challenging NNC to ‘carry out its duty of care to residents and remove the flags’ in response to the patriotic proliferation begun in August 2025 by locals.

The same month, NNC councillor Chris Munday (Reform, Croyland and Swanspool) said the flags were a ‘simple, visible expression of pride in our country that harms no one and costs residents nothing’.

GT Stewart Solicitors & Advocates, who are representing NREC, said: “This case raises important questions about the use of national symbols in a way that seeks to exclude others from membership of the community. This is undermining community relations and we believe that local authorities along with the police should use the powers that are available to them, to promote inclusion.”

The flags have been mounted on lamp-posts and street lights in all the residential areas of Kettering, on the lamp-posts at major traffic roundabouts into and out of the town, with the Cross of St George painted over zebra crossings, roundabouts or daubed on buildings and signs.

The solicitor's letter challenging NNC to act and help prevent community unease and unrest, states: “A number of individuals have decided to take the flags down in Kettering. However, this has resulted in a backlash from the people who have put up the flags in the first place. This latter group is very organised and has a vocal online presence though a Facebook group.”

NREC says the latest move follows previous correspondence with the council on the matter, with the charity seeking to convey the impact that the illegal erecting of flags was having on community cohesion and well-being and the council claiming in response, that they were under ‘no legal obligation’ to remove them. The online ‘Flags and Wellbeing’ survey, conducted by NREC in November 2025, attracted 449 responses within 72 hours, with the majority of responders being from North Northamptonshire. According to NREC, much of the narrative expressed by respondents was filled with fear for personal safety and concerns for friends, neighbours and relatives, with the majority seeing this issue as affecting their mental wellbeing.

Liz, a resident in the area commented on the survey, said: “When I’m passing the flags they intimidate me and I feel depressed. I feel anxious about the future of this county where this kind of messaging is allowed. I remember the intimidating hate marches of the National Front of the 1970's, and the fear and division it created in my community."

A group of people in the town who have been removing the flags had their social media profiles that led to online abuse, threats and intimidation.

The letter goes on to state: “… the flying of flags from highway structures without consent is a criminal offence and therefore the act of taking down the flags is a legitimate and lawful response to criminal wrongdoing.”

According to NREC - the law gives the council and the police a number of powers to act under Section 132 of the Highways Act 1980 as well as action under the Anti-Social Behaviour legislation.

The charity said: “We would submit that there has been widespread anti-social behaviour from the people putting up the flags which includes the members of the (stated) Kettering Facebook group.”

NREC says anti-social behaviour has included putting up flags on lamp-posts when it is unlawful to do so the failure to implement or enforce the law has given rise to alarm or distress and putting and threatening to put up the flags again when they have been taken down

The charity said: “This is a repeated pattern of law breaking which has no regard to the thoughts and feelings of members of the community.”

The letter ends by asking for a clear statement from the council and the police that the putting up of flags on highway structures will not be condoned, flags removed and anyone who is planning to put the flags up again could be prosecuted or fined.

In closing, it states: “We also consider that the action outlined above can go hand in hand with action to promote the flags of the United Kingdom and England in a way that is inclusive and improves community relations.“

A spokesman for NNC said: “We can confirm that we are in receipt of a letter and will be responding in due course once we have considered the issue.”

Northants Police has stated that flags on lamp-posts is a ‘civil issue for the local authorities and not a policing matter’.

Fire, Police and and Crime Commissioner Danielle Stone said she believes this is a matter for NNC and declined to comment.