A man faced pressure to remove his Union Jack after a neighbor lodged a complaint with the council, so he got petty revenge on them.
As England has begun making its mark during the World Cup, countless households and businesses have been dusting off St George's flags — hanging them from windows, balconies and car windows as the red-and-white bunting returns to streets across the country. But for some fans, the usual show of support now carries a hint of awkwardness after months of backlash and heated debate over the display of flags in public. While some have felt pressured to take down their flags, this isn't necessary.
In fact, a man previously took brilliant action against a neighbor who complained about the Union Jack flag they had on their property by filing a complaint with the council.
At the time, 'market man' Colin told viewers on his TikTok profile: "It's what people do these days; they complain about everything."
The contentious situation rapidly spread across the internet, prompting Colin to retaliate with a cheeky act of defiance against his disgruntled neighbor.
Refusing to back down, the 66-year-old purchased an even bigger Union Jack and hoisted it up a tall flagpole for all to see. Footage of him erecting the oversized flag has since accumulated over a million views on social media.
At the time, he jokingly warned: "So if they complain again, you know what I'm gonna do. I'll get an even bigger one."
The response from TikTok users was largely one of admiration, with one commenting: "Hoist that beautiful flag high. I salute the flag and you, sir" and another writing: "You should be allowed to fly this country's flag, good on you mate."
Meanwhile, a third social media user joked: "I'm going to complain that the flag pole isn't tall enough, you need to get a taller flagpole for the bigger Union Jack flag, so people further away can see it and appreciate it."
What are the rules around flying flags?
The Government says in recent years it has relaxed the rules on flying flags, not just the Union Jack, but also the flags of England, Wales, Ireland and indeed any national flag at all as it wants to see more flags flown in general.
England flags - as well as Scotland flags, Commonwealth country flags, NHS and LGBT flags are all permitted to be flown from your house. These can be any size if they are flown from the roof, and will attract no fines as a result. However, if you're flying the flag on a flagpole 'projecting from any part of the building other than the roof', the flag cannot be larger than two metres squared in size, and this applies all year round, not just at tournament time.
Consent is required if you live in a controlled area, too, such as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).
Those failing to comply with the rules could be reported and, ultimately, fined up to £2,500 for refusing to obey requests from your local council to remove an oversized flag.
