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COUNCIL killjoys have demanded a homeowner tear down a Jolly Roger flag – after they received just one complaint.
Mike Darragh, 40, had proudly flown the pirate flag outside the home he shares with his elderly mum during the Tour de Yorkshire.
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He decided to keep it up after the cycling event in May – but was stunned when he received a letter from the council ordering him to take it down or apply for planning permission.
Mike told the Hull Daily Mail: “To start with it [the letter] made me angry and upset – we tried to work out who was so silly to complain and if it was racist or ageist, or against someone’s beliefs.”
He has now replaced the flag with an Australian one – but is hoping to apply for planning permission to reinstate the original one.
I feel the fun has all gone from the world…it’s political correctness gone mad
Mike Darragh
Mike also posted the letter from the council on Facebook asking how it was possible the skull and crossbones flag could offend anyone.
He said: “I feel the fun has all gone from the world – the people of Howden were very supportive and told me to keep it up. It’s political correctness gone mad.
To have the community behind me was a great feeling and I think I am thinking about applying for planning permission.”
East Riding of Yorkshire Council said they couldn’t comment on individual cases or complaints.
Last year, councils, shop staff and cabbies were banned from waving St George flags as the World Cup kicked off.
The Royal Mail had previously banned its 125,000 posties from displaying England flags – but it is not against the law to fly them in the UK.
Flutter madness – what flags are banned in the UK?
THE Government made changes to regulations in 2012 which widens the types of flags you may fly in Britain – not necessarily just from cars and other vehicles.
These are:
- Any country’s national flag, civil ensign or civil air ensign
- The flag of the Commonwealth, the European Union, the United Nations or any other international organisation of which the United Kingdom is a member
- A flag of any island, county, district, borough, burgh, parish, city, town or village within the United Kingdom
- The flag of the Black Country, East Anglia, Wessex, any Part of Lincolnshire, any Riding of Yorkshire or any historic county within the United Kingdom
- The flag of Saint David
- The flag of Saint Patrick
- The flag of any administrative area within any country outside the United Kingdom
- Any flag of Her Majesty’s forces
- The Armed Forces Day flag
Club and company flags are also permitted to fly as is the Pride rainbow flag.
But flying any other flag from your home needs permission from the householder’s local authority.
