Council workers in the city of Portsmouth have been caught on a doorbell camera removing an England flag that a resident had put up to support England at the World Cup.The video shows two council workers in high-visibility vests unravelling and then cutting down an English flag that had been hung up on the balcony of a council estate..According to a spokesperson for Portsmouth City Council, the flag was considered a "fire risk" because the flag was hung on a public balcony.The video has sparked outrage in what many are seeing as yet another example of anti-patriotic actions from local government in the UK.Steve Pitt, the leader of the Portsmouth Council, said that while it's all well and good to display flags on private property, the display of flags on communal balconies constitutes a fire hazard."Residents are welcome to display flags inside their homes, such as in a window, where they can still show their support while helping to keep everyone safe."In response to this, Reform UK MP Suella Braverman has sent a letter to Pitt asking for "an urgent investigation as to why England flags, safely hung over residents' balconies are being removed.".The video has come out just a day before England is due to take on Argentina in the World Cup semifinal, arguably one of the most important matches in recent history for this England team.The tradition of hanging English flags on houses and balconies of council estates is something that has been going on for decades, but this incident comes among a number of recent similar incidents occurring in the last couple years.Despite this tradition, residents can be fined up to £2,500 for displaying flags if the council has deemed them to be a fire hazard.The man whose flag got taken down has said that the flag had been up there since the start of the World Cup in June; he also said that he has reported the incident to the police for the theft of his flag.
