Thousands of pounds were spent cleaning St George's crosses and flags from streets and lampposts across Reading after last summer's Operation Raise the Colours, the council has revealed.
Activists tied St George's Cross flags to lamp-posts and sprayed crosses onto road markings and a clothing donation bin outside the Al-Majid Centre Mosque, prompting a widespread removal and repainting effort.
Reading Borough Council says it has spent £7,403.68 on clean-ups from Friday 1 August 2025 to the present, with £6,010 spent at the height of the action in August and September.
The information officer called the incidents "attacks" in the FOI disclosure, with the Church ward in Whitley being the 'epicentre' of the operation. "In Callington Road, every speed hump, road nameplate, the 'Give way' short dotted white dashes on every junction along the stretch of road were hit."
Work took place at roughly 85 sites and covered bollards, bus stops, utility cabinets, mosque steps and the sides of buildings. Roads mentioned include Hartland Road, Whitley Wood Road, Callington Road, Northumberland Avenue, Cressingham Road (mosque), Brixham Road, Wokingham Road, Imperial Way and others.
The summer clean-up cost £5,097.25 for staff, vehicles, fuel for jet washers and chemicals (not including water or management fees). Traffic management added £1,694.96, bringing that phase to £6,792.21. Later incidents included a Caversham Park Village clean costing £186.55 and work outside Palmer Park costing £298.43 plus £126.49 for traffic management.
An artist's street art celebrating Ada Lovelace was accidentally removed when a cleaner cleared a cross and other graffiti from a utility cabinet in Northumberland Avenue. On whether it can be replaced, the council said: "Through its Street Art Working Group, the council supports positive street art.
"Initial enquiries were made with the local community development association for contact details of the original artist, but at this time, no arrangements have been made for a replacement. If contact can be made, it is something we would be happy to consider."
The council stresses it is legal to fly UK flags on private property without planning permission and flags were visible in Cressingham Road, Buckland Road and Sycamore Road. But it says unauthorised banners and flags can be a safety hazard and must not be attached to lampposts.
"For safety reasons, banners, signs or flags may not be attached to lampposts without authorisation from the council.
"They can compromise the safety of the public if not attached properly and can impact on visibility for road users.
"People placing ladders up against lampposts can also be extremely dangerous and result in serious injury."
James Aldridge, Local Democracy Reporter
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