Judge calls injunction case to stop flags 'troubling'

A legal bid to stop members of anti-migrant group Raise the Colours from putting up flags in Birmingham has been adjourned after a judge called the city council's case "troubling".

Raise the Colours were among those responsible for draping swathes of the city in Union and St George's Cross flags, leading to clashes with groups opposing the practice.

The council - run since the summer as a minority coalition led by the Liberal Democrats - is seeking an injunction with regard to various individuals. It argues the flags present a threat to public safety, community cohesion and also road users, due to the banners' high-profile presence on street furniture such as lampposts.

Judge Emma Kelly, sitting at Birmingham Civil Courts on Tuesday, said there needed to be greater clarity over allegations made against individuals named in the local authority's case.

The names include Raise the Colours organiser Ryan Bridge, plus Julian Keane (aka Elon), Elliot Stanley, Ross Child (aka Ross the Don), Billy Allison, Ben Cullen and Mark Keating.

"I am troubled by the lack of clarity of the case against the individual defendants," the judge said.

The injunction was also brought against "people unknown who intend to attach flags to lampposts, street signs and other street furniture".

Bridge, founder of the Raise the Colours group, was at the weekend charged with 14 offences alleged to have happened during a two-month period in Oxfordshire earlier this year. He is accused of using words or behaviour to cause harassment, alarm or distress, and racially aggravated offences.

Allison, who attended the hearing via video link, is currently on remand after being charged with the murder of a businessman who died after being punched at a Lichfield bar. He denies the charge against him.

The council said the adjournment in the injunction case would allow all parties to attend the proceedings and let all parties consider all the evidence.

A further hearing has been scheduled for 30 September.

Flags first began appearing en masse around the country last year, with various groups behind the activity.

In court earlier, Bridge said he only had a number of days to prepare for the injunction hearing, claiming he had no alerts from anybody at the council that it was happening.

He said that after receiving a "bundle" of papers through his door five days ago he then saw the council was seeking an injunction via news reporting by BirminghamLive.

"It's not been clear to us... we just would have liked the warning," he said.

Bridge said he would undertake not to put up more flags in the city.

He claimed "this could have all been dealt with, with a letter to say that we will impose an injunction if you don't stop".

Barrister Jonathan Manning, on behalf of the council, said the authority was willing to accept undertakings from two defendants but not Bridge.

Manning acknowledged that while Oxfordshire County Council, which was recently granted a High Court injunction to stop people placing flags near highways, had accepted undertakings from Bridge, Birmingham City Council would not at this stage.

"His involvement is considerably more central," he told the court.

"The activity in Birmingham has been at a level that is a different order of magnitude to that which took place in Oxfordshire," the lawyer said.

"There has been significantly more anti-social behaviour, threats and intimidation."

Following Tuesday's proceedings, the city council said: "The judge accepted two interim undertakings from Julian Keane and Elliot Stanley who agreed not to attach flags without council consent, organise or publicise related events, interfere with the removal of flags or obstruct the highway."

Two more of the named individuals, Child and Keating, did not attend the hearing due to holiday or work commitments.

Cullen did not attend either.

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