POTHOLES PAINTED WITH ST GEORGE’S CROSS – Vigilante hopes it will spur one the Council to fix them
A vigilante has painted the St George’s Cross onto potholes in the hope it will spur the council to fix them.
Ben Thornbury, frustrated with the time taken to fix potholes in his hometown of Malmesbury, Wiltshire, noticed how quickly councils up and down the country appeared to be deploying workers to take down patriotic flags and remove crosses of St George painted on roundabouts.
The 20-year-old decided to test the council’s response by painting a St George’s Cross on a pothole.
He said: “I noticed all the England flags going up in Birmingham. I started to think I’ve cracked the code for getting potholes sorted.”
The stunt comes amid a growing movement that has seen members of the public display patriotic flags in towns and cities across England.
Last week, residents in Birmingham were ordered by the council to remove hundreds of Union Flags and St George’s flags from the city’s streets, which had been put up as part of a “patriotic outpouring”.
The decision led to criticism of the Labour-run council, which has been beset by bin strikes this year and declared itself effectively bankrupt in 2023, and inspired others to hoist the nation’s flags in protest.
The St George’s Cross has also been painted on to mini roundabouts across the country, including in Chippenham in Wiltshire.
