A Gulf War veteran is fighting back after he was forced to take down a Union flag in his garden following complaints.

Andrew Smith, 51, of Hucknall, Notts, installed the flag on a pole in tribute to Great Britain after serving six years in the Royal Signals.

But after a neighbour labelled the flag a ‘nuisance’, he claimed he received a letter from housing developer Harron Homes threatening legal action if he didn’t take it down.

Ex-soldier Andrew Smith was allegedly told by a housing developer to stop flying his Union flag (Picture: Tom Maddick/SWNS)

Andrew said Brits have become weak and doesn’t understand why it’s offensive to show patriotism (Picture: Tom Maddick/SWNS)

The father-of-two has complied but said he can’t understand why the Union flag or British patriotism are offensive.


He said: ‘He [the neighbour] said to me: “I hope you’re taking the flag down, it’s spoiling our view”…



‘We have become soft and don’t want to upset other people, whereas I have done my bit for my country and I’m proud to be British.

‘I went to war for my country. It’s something close to my heart and every morning I feel like saluting it.

‘We are becoming weak and spineless. Who are they to tell me not to fly the flag?’

A Harron Homes spokesperson said the demand to take it down was due to the height of the pole and had nothing to do with patriotism.

Andrew served in the British army between 1988 and 1994 and fought in the Gulf War.

He wanted to show his appreciation for The Queen and bought the £3 flag from eBay, measuring 5ft by 3ft.

The veteran fought in the Gulf War (Picture: Andrew Smith/SWNS)

The dad said he’s taken the flag down but is fighting back (Picture: Tom Maddick/SWNS)

Andrew, now a project manager, moved into the property with his wife Trigania, 28, in October last year.

The couple previously lived in Chilwell where Andrew flew the flag without incident for 10 years.

He asked locals on the Sandlands Park Facebook group page in February whether anyone would be offended if he installed it and said he received more than 70 positive comments and likes.

Andrew said: ‘It’s a covenant garden, whatever I signed when I bought the house said I wasn’t allowed to do anything that causes a nuisance or annoyance.

‘I asked on a Facebook group: “Is this going to offend anyone? I’m proud to serve.” People said “go for it”.’

He said he asked neighbours on Facebook beforehand whether they minded if he put up the flag (Picture: Tom Maddick/SWNS)

But he heard a knock at the door from a disgruntled neighbour within hours of putting it up.

Andrew added: ‘They probably knocked on the door around 20 times over the next three days but I just ignored it.

‘Then we got a letter from Harron Homes saying they had been instructed by a solicitor that I have to take the flagpole down because it’s causing a nuisance.

‘I took it down but I have fought back.’

The flagpole is not a permanent structure and Andrew intermittently switches the union flag with the England one during football and rugby matches.

A spokeswoman for Harron Homes told Metro.co.uk they received the complaint about the flagpole from a neighbour at an adjacent property.



She added: ‘The restrictive covenant signed by all homeowners does not allow for the placement of any structures i.e. flagpoles above a certain height, which could be viewed as an annoyance and nuisance to fellow residents.

‘We simply asked for the pole and flag to be removed in line with the residential agreement, due to a neighbour’s complaint. For the avoidance of doubt this is nothing to do with patriotism or the flag’s origin.’

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