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It will be a flag which will represent Birmingham around the world – and Brummies will be voting for it.

Officials now have a shortlist of six designs submitted as part of a competition to create a brand for the city. The winner will eventually be flown outside the Council House.

Deputy Lord Mayor Coun Mike Leddy, chairman of the Birmingham Flag Project Team, said: “This is a wonderful opportunity to create a Community Flag for Birmingham and help instil civic pride in this great city of ours.

“I hope people will get behind this competition and cast their votes before June 28.

“We had 470 entries. Many were similar so on the advice of the Flag Institute, the panel decided to merge some of the designs to make six really strong designs to put to the vote Many refer to Birmingham’s industrial heritage or the Jewellery Quarter, whilst others reference the de Birmingham family and the Bull Ring.

“Shortlisted designers include a ten-year-old school boy, designers, a photographer and a Brownie leader and many have spoken to me about their pride in getting this far with the competition.”

The winner will be announced in July and the design registered as the official flag for Birmingham. It will then be free for anyone to use from that point on.

To cast your vote visit – birmingham.gov.uk/community-flag before 28 June

The designs:

• Design A is inspired by the Industrial Revolution invention of the sun and planet gear system invented by William Murdoch for Boulton & Watt. A large golden cog issues from the base of the flag, with spokes representing the dawn of the industrial era.

• Design B features a steel pen nib for which Birmingham was the centre of world manufacture in the Jewellery Quarter. The straight red line denotes the man-made canal network that spans across the city carrying the lifeblood trade and industry.

• Design C includes two triangles, which act as an abstract representation of the letter B. This is bordered by a golden zig-zag, similarly forming an abstract vertical letter M. This symbolises the Roman letter for 1,000 and Birmingham’s sobriquet as ‘the city of a thousand trades’.

• Design D’s layered golden cross and saltire reflect the city’s central position, links and reach within the nation and how its rise powered the rise of the country. The crosses are bordered by the alternating red and blue of the historic arms of the de Birmingham family and city council.

• Flag E features vertical blue and white stripes representing the canal network of the city. The red chevron serves as an arrow pointing forward, to mirror the civic motto as well as its tradition as a leading centre for scientific, industrial and cultural progress.

• Design F uses a series of checks to represent the different communities that come together as the fabric of the city. Upon each is placed an anchor which is the symbol of the Jewellery Quarter. This represents the wealth and quality the city is known for, mirrored in a golden background.