Mr Justice Dias granted the council’s application for an injunction against unauthorised flag raising by the four defendants as well as “persons unknown”.

The injunction by the Liberal Democrat-led council also bans painting flags on roads, harassing council staff involved in removing flags, and encouraging anyone in these actions.

The Raise the Colours campaign has been putting up flags across the country since August last year, the court heard. Bridge, who like the other defendants was representing himself, told the court the council were using “bullying tactics” but he agreed to the proposed terms of the injunction.

He said: “It is a sad day for the flag of our country and what it represents.”

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England flags return to Bristol street after council row Seeking clarification from the judge about what could amount to encouraging others to raise flags from lamp-posts, he said: “My worry is that by putting a flag up for the football tonight that would be encouraging others. That’s outrageous. It’s outrageous that I’m here.”

Dias said Bridge could continue erecting flags from his own property as he was “legally entitled to do”. At the start of the hearing, Cullen said: “My position is I would still like to keep putting flags up in Oxfordshire.” Later, he said: “I will not do it in future in Oxfordshire.”

Wells said: “I’m not going to have anything to do with the flags any more.”

Documents submitted to the court by the council said it was seeking to ban “attaching flags or causing flags to be attached to highway structures; painting or marking flags on the highway; obstructing officers or contractors from removing flags from highway structures; and causing harassment, alarm or distress to officers or contractors who are or have been involved in the removal of flags from highway structures”.

The judge agreed to grant the injunction against the four defendants and persons unknown. It bans attaching flags to highway structures, painting flags on roads, harassing council staff involved in removing flags, and encouraging anyone in these actions.

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