Scottish councils halt removal of saltire flags after workers threatened
Aberdeenshire and Falkirk suspend operations and seek Police Scotland support as flags placed in towns and cities following a social media campaign
Councils in Scotland have suspended the removal of saltire flags from lampposts after council workers reported threats and intimidation, officials said.
Aberdeenshire Council said removal operations were paused after staff reported abuse and that it had asked Police Scotland to provide assistance before work resumed. Falkirk Council also confirmed that staff had been threatened while taking down the flags and said the saltires had been put up without permission and posed a safety risk.
"Abuse is being reported to Police Scotland. Removal has been suspended for today. The assistance of Police Scotland will be requested to allow removal to resume," Aberdeenshire Council said in a statement. Aberdeen City Council also confirmed it was removing flags that had been fixed to lampposts.
The flags have been appearing on lampposts across towns and cities in Scotland over the past few weeks after a social media campaign linked to pages behind an anti-asylum seeker protest, councils said. Organisers of the pages involved — which have used names including Save Our Future and Our Kids Future — said they were "disgusted" by the councils' response and that they had begun fundraising.
Local authorities said the flags were installed without permission and that the way some had been attached created a potential hazard for the public and for workers tasked with their removal. Councils undertake removal operations to protect public safety and to comply with local bylaws governing unauthorised fixtures on street furniture.
Police Scotland was approached for comment. The involvement of police, councils said, is intended to ensure the safety of staff and members of the public while removals are carried out.
The episode comes amid heightened public debate in parts of the United Kingdom about asylum seekers and migration, which has included protests, counter-protests and campaigning on social media. Councils said they were mindful of the need to balance the right to peaceful expression with the obligation to uphold public safety and the rule of law.
Local authority spokespeople urged members of the public to avoid intimidating or interfering with workers and to report incidents of abuse to Police Scotland. They said removal work would resume only once officers could ensure the safety of crews.
Council statements did not give a firm date for when removals would restart. Officials said they would continue to monitor the situation and coordinate with police as necessary while addressing the unauthorised displays.