Judge hands down judgement on lamp-post flag ban

A judge has set out his reasons in granting a High Court injunction to stop unknown people placing flags on a county's lamp-posts.

Oxfordshire County Council brought legal action to stop the raising of flags near highways, which it said had involved safety risks, as well as trespass and obstruction.

At a hearing on 9 July the authority was granted an interim injunction against a group of four named individuals.

Handing down his judgment on Friday, Mr Justice Dexter Dias said: "There is little prospect absent an injunction that it will stop."

The widespread flying of flags has become contentious and several local authorities have removed them from public infrastructure.

Some politicians decried the removals, while others say they can be linked to xenophobia or racism.

Making an injunction ordering unknown people not to attach flags to highway structures, or paint them on roads in Oxfordshire, the judge said the motivation for the council's application had been because a "significant body of participants in the affixing of flags in Oxfordshire remains unidentified".

He continued: "Although the claimant has repeatedly removed unauthorised flags, more flags are later affixed."

He said council employees or contractors had been "obstructed" when trying to remove them, and that workers "faced abuse or intimidation while taking flags down, as well as residents".

Maintenance teams had been "working in fear", had been told to wear face coverings, and had been forced to check vehicles for tracking tags after the publishing of a worker's home address, he said.

Mr Justice Dexter Dias said the people putting up the flags had done so "consistently and persistently" since August 2025.

The injunction means any person breaching the order could face prison, a fine or having their assets seized.

The council said flags had been placed on or near public roads without permission for months, despite a formal legal notice in March and pre-action legal letters sent to individuals in May.

Following the hearing in June, three people associated with the Raise The Colours group – Ben Cullen, Trudy Wells and Ryan Bridge – gave undertakings "not to engage in any future flag-related activity".

Mr Justice Dexter Dias also made an order granting an injunction against group member Kevin Good.

In his judgement he mentioned that Cullen was "accused of serious criminal offences relating to possession of child pornography", which he denies, and that Bridge had said at the hearing that the group "knew nothing about the child pornography allegations".

Those associated with the movement have hung St George's and union flags next to roads across the county over the past year.

Speaking after the previous hearing, Bridge said: "I feel it's a sad day for the flag of our country and what it represents."

Some of the activists are being investigated after they appeared to film inside the Royal Courts of Justice on the days of the High Court hearings.

The council estimates it has spent about £80,000 removing the flags and about £40,000 on its legal costs which it would seek to recover.

Leader Tim Bearder said: "This is a welcome judgement. We're very pleased with the result.

He said his authority was "dealing with very challenging people, not patriots".

"This sets a legal precedent and will hopefully deter people in not just Oxfordshire but around the country from partaking in this criminal activity," he added.

The injunction does not relate to people who wish to fly flags on their own private property.

The council said it "proudly" flew the union and St George's flags at County Hall and "fully supports" the right of residents to display their own flags.