Around 2,300 England flags removed in Derby

Derby City Council House (Credit: LDRS)

Approximately 2,300 England and Union Jack flags have been removed in Derby in less than a year –  and £2,600 has been spent on security to protect council staff from abuse.

Derby City Council announced in September that it would be removing flags from street furniture after they were put up to represent national pride amid discontent around immigration issues.

Flags were put on people’s houses but also on council-owned lampposts and street lights.

But the local authority has had to fork out more than £2,600 on security guards because, it says, staff have been subject to threatening behaviour while taking the flags down.

The council said some of its workers have been faced with “high-risk situations” – but it could not disclose further information about these incidents when asked.

Other incidents have included workers being verbally abused by passing motorists, the council said.

Flags taken down are kept in storage and are not being returned to owners.

The new figures come from a Freedom of Information (FOI) request submitted by the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).

At first, the Labour-led Derby City Council said it was not going to exercise “discretionary legal powers to remove flags or bunting that had been placed on street furniture”.

But in September the authority changed course. Councillor Sarah Chambers, cabinet member for communities, equalities and public safety Sarah Chambers said it was “time to bring this campaign of flag flying to an end”.

Cllr Chambers said the decision was part of the council’s statutory responsibility “to keep public spaces safe and well-maintained” and it wanted to begin to clear lampposts “for future seasonal and commemorative events”.

The FOI states that the council removed around 1,000 flags during September and October before the numbers dropped down over the winter months.

But the number of flags taken down rose sharply during March and April 2026 – approximately 300 removed in both months.

The council revealed in the FOI that the Derby ward where most flags had been removed was Mackworth.

A spokesperson for Derby City Council said: “As part of our statutory duty to keep public spaces safe and accessible and our assets appropriately maintained, we routinely remove unauthorised items, including flags, from street furniture. Operational activity is carried out based on risk assessments and local priorities.

“The safety of our workforce is paramount – our officers and contractors have the right to carry out their duties without fear of intimidation or harm, and security will be deployed alongside operational teams where necessary.”