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A shop in Ilford, Essex, received a letter stating its England flags should be removed because the owners are from India. The letter said the family had the “wrong flag” outside their shop and “should know that you don’t forget your motherland country”. In response to the letter, the shop owners vowed to put even more St George flags up as they rallied behind the Three Lions. Sagan Mangat, a director at GMS Ltd, told the BBC: “I know I’m Indian but I’m also English. It’s got nothing to do with what football team I support.” The shopfront is now plastered in England flags with World Cup bunting wrapping its way around the building.

World Cup 2018: Shop responded to abuse by putting even more England flags up

We did put all the flags up and we are very very proud of it Dalvinder Singh

Dalvinder Singh, a sales assistant at GMS, said: “We did put all the flags up and we are very very proud of it because we are the only shop along Ilford lane who have proudly done this. “For the past 30 years now we have been putting the flags up.” Jiwan Mangat, who founded the company, said that he has been flying the flags for 30 years and it represents a whole community living together. Royal Mail postmen and delivery drivers have also been barred from displaying St George's flags or stickers while working – for health and safety reasons. The ban affects all of the Royal Mail's 125,000 delivery staff, based at 1,400 delivery depots across the UK. A Royal Mail spokesman defended the ban, claiming St George's flags could “obscure the driver's view”.