ENGLAND flags in a Bournemouth road were torn down by binmen after the Euros final leaving residents frustrated and fuming.
BCP Council has apologised to residents in Ravine Road, off Boscombe Overcliff Drive, after its workers took down numerous England and Dorset flags from lampposts.
Resident Robert Wilson had helped fund and put up the flags to celebrate England getting he final of the Euros in the name of “community spirit”.
The retired medical researcher said: “We are a road that often puts flags up for big events including the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, the King’s coronation and, of course, the England vs Spain Euros final.
“The flags flew the length of the road and involved me going up a ladder to attach them onto the lampposts and somebody below helping me.
“Hundreds of people pass them and enjoy them.”
But after England lost to Spain 2-1 on Sunday evening, Robert went out on Monday morning to take the flags down.
“[On Monday morning] I went to go and take them down and noticed they had all gone, with just one left outside my house,” he said.
“I’ve found out that a bin man had leapt up the lamppost and put the flags in the bin. People are very angry about this here; it’s the destruction of private property, first of all.
“And people enjoyed seeing the flags flying in the street. We aimed for good, community spirit here, but they were torn down.
“One of the flags was even on a neighbourhood awareness board designed to stop vandalism, but a council worker who the taxpayer’s pay for has come here and maliciously removed them.
“It sets a bad standard for the area and I’m sure there will be many people on the council who would agree.”
Neighbour Brendan Gibbons joked that the culprit may have been Spanish, adding: “The flags are good for community spirit and whoever did this is not very nice.”
Richard Davies was working on a building opposite Robert’s house when he saw the bin man take down the flags at about 8.30am.
He said: “I was working on the house opposite and the bin man, he was only young, walked past, grabbed it and put it in the bin.
“I don’t think he was being nasty or horrible, he must’ve just thought it was for the rubbish.”
A BCP Council spokesperson said: "During a routine bin collection on Ravine Road, a flag was added to the refuse. This was in error, and we apologise to the resident for the mistake made.”
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