Union flags have reappeared on lampposts along the Altrincham flyover just days after Trafford Council removed them, with the new flags even larger than those originally installed.
Video exclusively obtained by Altrincham Today shows the flags being reattached to lampposts on Woodlands Road at around 11.30pm on Sunday 30th November.
The council had only removed the flags three days earlier following their initial appearance on Saturday, 8th November.
The video, taken by a local resident, shows a man at the top of a ladder attaching a large flag midway up a lamppost while another individual holds the ladder at the bottom.
At the same time, another man is mounting a flag on a lamppost on the opposite side of the road while a further individual holds his ladder.
Cars beeping their horns in support can be heard in the background.
Watch the flags being reinstalled below (copyright Altrincham Today)
Watch the flags being reinstalled on the Altrincham flyover last night
The latest installation is set to cause a headache for Trafford Council, which has previously stated it would remove the flags due to health and safety concerns, despite respecting national symbols displayed appropriately.
"Attaching flags to public property such as lampposts is illegal and unsafe," a council spokesperson said last month.
"We plan to remove flags promptly as they cause a health and safety risk, subject to staff safety and resources."
The spokesperson added: "We are proud to honour our Union Flag and the flag of St George, and we display both at our town hall as a symbol of our national heritage. We want residents to celebrate their national pride within the law and with their safety, and the safety of others, in mind."
We have approached the council for their reaction to the latest turn of events.
The incident forms part of a wider national trend. According to a recent report in The Observer, local councils across England have spent at least £70,000 removing unauthorised flags following a summer campaign dubbed "Operation Raise the Colours".
