ST GEORGE’S Day is just a week away but patriotic Brits could face fines if found to be breaking certain flag laws.
Households may be hit with a hefty penalty of up to £2,500 for incorrectly displaying the England flag.
According to local council planning laws, only one flag on a vertical flagpole attached to the roof of a building is allowed.
If the flagpole is attached to the side of the building, the flag must not be larger than 2 square meters in size.
Refusing to obey council requests to remove an oversized flag could lead to households being reported and fined.
This means for those wanting to display a larger banner, they will need to fly it directly from their roof.
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These rules apply to any country’s national flag, including both flags of St George and St Andrew.
Consent may also be needed for those living in a controlled area, such as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Fines can start as low as £100 to £250, with a maximum penalty of £2,500 for repeated offences.
It is also against the law to “display any advertisement or subject matter additional to the design of the flag,” according to government guidance.
It adds: “Two flags on the same flagpole projecting from any part of a building are permitted provided one of the flags is from category (a) (flags which do not need consent) such as a national flag and that flag is flown in the superior position.
“Otherwise, only one flag on a projecting flagpole on a building is permitted. The flag may not exceed 2 square metres in size.”
St George’s Day will fall on April 23 this year, as an annual celebration marking the death of the patron saint in 303 AD.
