Union Flags on Glastonbury War Memorial 'torn down and set fire to' after coronation

Four Union Flags on a war memorial in Somerset have been torn down and "set fire to", after King Charles' coronation.

Mike Free, chairman of the British Legion in Glastonbury, purchased the flags with his own money to decorate the memorial for yesterday's celebrations.

The 78-year-old said: "This is the third time we've put up flags for a state event - we hung them for the Jubilee and the Queen's funeral last year as well, and both times they were stolen and taken away.

"I had to order new ones for the coronation and they cost me £70, including postage. I can't afford to keep doing this.

"I put them up on Thursday and they were fine on Friday. Then on Saturday I went down and someone shouted 'you should leave them up for his funeral', which wasn't very nice.

"Then I went down this morning (Sunday 7 May) and they were all torn down and burnt."

Mr Free added that he had put up a notice to explain where the flags had gone and that he believed they had now been replaced.

He added: "It's not nice. You do try, but some people just won't leave these things alone. It's part of our heritage, and no doubt I will do it again for the next big event, even though I can't really afford to."

Mr Free said he had reported the incident at his local police station.

"Hopefully they will have caught whoever did it on CCTV. It's a nice town, but it does make you lose heart," he said.

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