High Court injunction halts Oxfordshire flag campaign over safety and intimidation concerns

Oxfordshire County Council has secured a High Court injunction against four leaders of the 'Raise the Colours' campaign, prohibiting them from displaying St George’s flags on public highway structures. Mr Justice Dias granted the order against Ryan Bridge, Ben Cullen, Trudy Wells, and Kevin Good, alongside persons unknown, following a series of legal hearings that highlighted tensions between the nationalist group and local authorities.

The injunction explicitly bans the defendants from attaching flags to lamp-posts or other highway structures, painting flag designs on roads, or obstructing council workers and contractors during removal operations. It also prohibits any conduct intended to harass, alarm, or distress staff involved in the enforcement of the order. The council, which is led by the Liberal Democrats, cited repeated unlawful attachments and a failure to heed prior requests to desist as the primary grounds for the legal action.

During the hearing, the defendants provided varying accounts of their stance on the campaign. Ryan Bridge, representing himself, described the council’s actions as "bullying tactics" and expressed regret over the outcome, stating it was a "sad day for the flag of our country." However, he signed a written undertaking to comply with the injunction’s terms. Bridge sought clarification from the judge regarding the definition of "encouraging" others, raising concerns that erecting a flag for a football match might be construed as a breach of the order.

Mr Justice Dias clarified that the injunction does not restrict the defendants’ rights to erect flags on private property, confirming that Bridge remains legally entitled to do so. Ben Cullen initially told the court he wished to continue raising flags in Oxfordshire but later confirmed he would not do so in the future. Trudy Wells stated she would have "nothing to do with the flags any more," while the fourth defendant, Kevin Good, agreed to have no further involvement with flag activities in the county, although he was not present in court.

The legal intervention follows a campaign that has seen flags raised across the country since August 2025. In documents submitted to the court, the council accused the group of intimidating staff through "naming and shaming" tactics. The council highlighted a specific incident in January 2026, where flags were attached to lamp-posts in the street of a female councillor, who subsequently received hostile and abusive emails. The injunction aims to prevent further obstruction of officers and protect council employees from harassment during their duties.