Cabbie told to remove England flags A PATRIOTIC taxi driver has been banned from flying the England flag from his cab during the Euros ... because killjoy council officials say it could cause “offence”.
Cabbie Andrew Jenkinson decked out his taxi in red and white to support England during the Euro 2012 championships as he drove around the Yorkshire seaside resort of Scarborough.
But the 62-year-old grandad was left stunned when council bosses ordered him to remove the flags because putting them on his car was not a “safe practice” .
And when he complained they told him that it might lead to other cabbies displaying flags of other nations, which could potentially cause offence.
Ironically Andrew is a Conservative councillor for the Scarborough Borough Council...the authority that has told him to remove the flags.
The fuming cabbie last night blasted the ruling a “ridiculous and pathetic” and said he would defy the ban and keep flying the flags.
Andrew originally decorated his private hire taxi with flags during the Queen’s Jubilee earlier this month and then decided to leave them in place for the Euro Championships.
But the problems arose after Andrew was warned at a council meeting by a colleague that he could be breaking regulations.
He spoke to a council official who said they would check if it was illegal.
Now he has received a warning letter telling him: ‘On June 11 you asked me if you were illegally flying these flags. I replied that I did not know but I would consult my manager.
“Your response was that you were not going to take it off anyway, as they [the flags] represented the country.
“This incident was communicated to the licensing manager.
“As with all aspects of Taxi and Private Hire Licensing, the primary concern is the safety of the travelling public and it was considered that this was not safe practice.
“I trust that you will comply by removing any flags from your private hire vehicle.”
Another senior official later said it could lead to trouble or offence if other cabbies put up other nation’s flags.
But Andrew said yesterday: “The flags are staying.
“I’m not going to take them down until England are out of the tournament.
This is a celebration of my country.
“I’m disgusted by this ban. It’s pathetic. They seem to be suggesting that it’s a health and safety danger having flags on your car window – how ridiculous is that.
“Are they really suggesting that In England I’m not allowed to fly an England flag because it might offend someone?
I’ve had plenty of people supporting me in this fight and I’m not going to back down.”
He said that he had suggested a compromise to allow flying flags on certain days like when England are playing, but the council officials have refused to budge.
And he has received an email from local MP Robert Goodwill saying: “I cannot believe that they are being so petty’.
Andy Skelton, head of environmental services for the council they were not being unpatriotic.
He added: “As a council we are very much in favour of our residents showing their patriotism.
“But if we allow flags of our own nationality to be flown then we would quickly get to a situation where drivers might think they can display the flags of other nations or show political affiliations and allegiances and this is something that may cause offence to some people.”
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/ne ... flags.html
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