Sutton Council’s leader has defended the authority’s decision to spend £27,000 removing St George’s Cross flags from across the borough.

The flags were put up by a group calling themselves South London Patriots.

But Sutton’s Council leader, Barry Lewis says the flags are cheap, look tatty, are sometimes dangerous and are causing division.

He says the £27,000 cost for their removal was down to one very important factor. You can listen to Mr Lewis here.

The news comes as a judge has granted a High Court injunction to stop unknown people placing flags on lamp-posts in Oxfordshire.

Oxfordshire County Council brought legal action to stop the raising of flags near highways, which it said had involved safety risks, as well as trespass and obstruction.

The authority has been granted an interim injunction against a group of four named individuals.