Man 'cracks code' to getting potholes fixed painting them with St George cross

A man believes he has 'cracked the code' to getting his local council to fill in potholes - paiting them with a St George’s Crosses. Ben Thornbury has previously turned potholes into a pitch-and-putt course and the 20-year-old has also started eating his breakfast out of others in a bid to highlight the problem.

Now Ben has come up with a new way of making sure they get filled in. He applies white paint over them followed by red to form a cross to make the English national flag.

He is doing it in his home town of Malmesbury, Wilts as as patriotic folk have been putting up St George’s Crosses in their neighbourhoods - like in Birmingham. Ben said: “I noticed all the England flags going up in Birmingham. I starting to think I’ve cracked the code for getting potholes sorted.”

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He added: “I’d noticed the ones along Neibull Close and thought I would highlight them. I got some white and red paint from my garage and painted about five of them.”

He added: “I couldn’t believe the reaction. Loads of people contacted me to say well done and what a great idea it was. So I just hope they are repaired. I’m proud of my country and like to help people whenever I can.

“Residents had been complaining about the state of the town centre for eight months. But that was resurfaced just weeks after I highlighted it. Ben hopes the council will now take action as other local authorities were quick to take down St George flags when they were flown in UK neighbourhoods. Flags have been taken down by councils in Tower Hamlets in east London as well as Birmingham.

On Monday, St George’s cross flags were pictured on the A1206 on the Isle of Dogs in the east of the capital, after campaigners attached them following an online movement called “Operation Raise the Colours”.

Flags that have been flown in areas of Birmingham have been removed by the local council. Residents saw Manchester Road in Tower Hamlets, east London, lined with St George’s flags over the weekend but only a few remained by Monday.

Walking along the busy inner city street on Monday lunchtime, one local resident who did not want to give his name said: “They were all along the street, lots of them. It looked nice really. It was very colourful. I saw them late on Saturday. They just appeared and only noticed they have all gone now.”

His neighbour said: “They all went up at the weekend and have come down now.” She added that she did not feel threatened or scared, but it was definitely a “very pointed act”.

The local resident, who did not want to be named, said: “It was right they should come down as I think it was after the demonstration about asylum.” She said “it was not about community”, adding that normally when you see flags go up it is around a celebration or about bringing people together.

“There was no noise or trouble about it. They just went up and I did not see anyone take them down.” She added: “It was OK. I know a lot of people like it and it was bright.”

Another resident said: “It was all along the road. It was nice. There was nothing wrong with it. It went all along to the Britannia Hotel.”

He added it was “good to see” because “so much today is about division and I am just proud of being English”.

The Britannia Hotel in Canary Wharf has been at the centre of protests over asylum seekers in recent weeks. Tower Hamlets Council said it has a “policy setting out which flags are flown from council buildings and on which occasions”.

In a statement, the council added: “We are aware members of the public have been putting up St George flags on various structures. While we recognise people wish to express their views, we have a responsibility to monitor and maintain council infrastructure.

“Where flags are attached to council-owned infrastructure without permission, they may be removed as part of routine maintenance.”

A Birmingham City Council spokesperson said: “We proudly fly the Union flag outside the Council House every day and recognise the importance of the Union flag and flag of St George as symbols of national pride. Brummies are proud to be British and proud that this is a welcoming city celebrating many different cultures.

“When it comes to items attached to lamp posts, it is normal council procedure for these to be removed on a regular basis, in line with our health and safety obligations.

“As has always been the case, people are free to fly or hang flags from their homes or gardens, but we ask that they are not attached to street furniture.”