County secures High Court injunction over unauthorised placement of flags on highways

Following a hearing at the Royal Courts of Justice on Tuesday (23 June), four named defendants – members of the ‘Raise the Colours’ campaign group – also gave undertakings not to put up flags in Oxfordshire, encourage others to do so, or abuse people removing them, the council said.

The authority had sought the injunction to prevent repeated interference with the highway and to support its legal duties as a highway authority. It said the activity had created road safety and public safety risks and caused distress within local communities.

The injunction covers the unauthorised placement of flags on highway infrastructure and follows allegations of trespass, obstruction of the highway, and incidents in which council staff, contractors and residents were subjected to confrontation or harassment while removing flags.

The council had also sought a separate injunction against the four individuals, including campaign co-founder Ryan Bridge, but this element of the application was dropped after the undertakings were agreed.

Flags have been tied to lampposts and other street furniture across England since August 2025, with Raise the Colours encouraging supporters to display them on public infrastructure.

Speaking to Local Government Lawyer after the hearing, Bridge, who represented himself in the High Court, said he had only travelled to Oxfordshire once to erect flags on lampposts.

He said: “So I said to the judge: ‘If you don't want me to go back there, judge, I won't go back there’, and he said, ‘if you could that would be great and there'll be no need for an injunction’ – and I signed a piece of paper to say, I promise I won't do that.”

Bridge said the court action would not affect the group's activities elsewhere, stating: “The application for the injunction and the ban is literally in the Oxfordshire area only.

“Obviously, this is a very liberal, left-leaning part of the country, so we will be concentrating on more unity, togetherness, patriotism in more pro-British council areas.”

He added that Raise the Colours had written to Reform UK-controlled councils seeking permission to erect flags in their areas in order to “do it the legal way”.

“As Winston Churchill once said, ‘we will never give up, we will never surrender’,” Bridge said.

Cllr Tim Bearder, leader of Oxfordshire County Council, said the injunction would help protect residents and council staff while supporting the authority's responsibility to keep the highway safe.

He said: “We proudly fly the Union Flag and St George’s flag at County Hall and we fully support the right of residents to display their own flags – including to show their support for the England football team.

“However, the behaviour we’ve seen from Raise the Colours is nothing to do with national pride or support for the England team during the World Cup. It is unlawful behaviour that has put people at risk and caused fear within our communities for almost a year.”

Adam Carey