A council has announced they will take down Union Jack and St George's flags from lampposts claiming they are a safety concern. 

Shropshire Council said that it supports and 'does not prohibit' residents from expressing their British patriotism and added that it recognises the flag as a 'national emblem'.

However, the Liberal Democrat run local authority added that putting the flags up could be considered a criminal offence and those responsible will be pursued for the cost of the removal.

The council's deputy leader had previously said the authority would not stop locals from putting up national flags and that he had 'absolutely no problem with people being patriotic'.  

Since Storm Dave swept across the nation last week, many of the flags across the county have reportedly become torn, loose or insecure.

Now, the council have started a £13,000 full-scale removal operation of the flags which will initially start in Shrewsbury before being expanded across the county.

A group of demonstrators took to the streets of Shrewsbury today to protest the council's decision.

The protests were organised by a local group called Raise the Flags Shrewsbury Plus who previously confirmed they were responsible for putting up the flags  

A GoFundMe set up by the same group to stop the flags being torn down in the county town has raised over £6,000.

Meanwhile, BBC News reported that Shropshire Council are aware of 'community tensions' including reports of abuse directed at residents, councillors and members of staff who work for the council and that it was working with West Mercia Police.

While it is removing the flags from the lampposts and elsewhere, the council is in the process of setting up a funding bid to create what they call a 'positive alternative' including a locally-designed flag involving young people from the area.

In October last year, Shropshire Council also removed a number of flags claiming on this occasion they had become 'unsightly' in the wake of Storm Amy.

The flags had been placed there and elsewhere in Britain as part of Operation Raise the Colours - a campaign started last summer online that advocates displaying Union and St George's Cross flags in public places.

Although the groups responsible for displaying the flags said they were meant to show pride and patriotism towards Britain, others have called them provocative at a time of tension over immigration across the country.