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A Welsh flag is set to be reinstalled outside Neath Castle after the town council controversially replaced it with a Union Jack.

Both flags usually fly in the town.

But anger was sparked after Neath Port Talbot councillor Jamie Evans raised the issue of the flag switch outside Neath Castle.

Now town council clerk Kathryn Charles has met with councillor Evans to explain how confusion led to controversy.

She said: “We had a fireworks display during the Christmas lights switch-on and the flags were brought down for that.

“The Welsh flag was not put back up because it had perished.

“We’ve ordered new flags for all of them since and we are about to put them up this week.

“Councillor Evans did not know about this as he was not in a meeting.”

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Mr Evans said: “There was no offence meant to anyone.

“I’ve spoken to the clerk and she said the flags were taken down before the Christmas lights switch-on.

“Whey they took the Welsh flag down it was found to deemed to be unfit to put back up.

“The new flags are now in the office and are expected to be up by the weekend.”

Reacting to the outcry over the Welsh flag being missing, Mr Evans said: “I don’t think any of us would have expected the reaction we got but the clerk has cleared everything up.

“People from all over Wales, not just Neath were in touch, Caernarfon , Monmouth .”