'Selfish, reckless and unsafe': Blackpool Council investigates Bispham roundabout England flag paint

A video circulating on social media showed a member of the public painting the roundabout on Kincraig Road, Bispham with red paint and an extendable roller to resemble the St George's flag.

The move came as England faced Italy in last night's Euro 2020 final, but following the home team's devastating defeat after penalties, the paint still remains.

Blackpool Council slammed the act as "selfish, reckless and unsafe," and said investigations were underway to determine how much the paint would cost to remove.

A Blackpool Council spokesman said: "We are aware of this incident and are carrying out investigations to determine the scale of the damage and repair costs.

"Many residents will have been both proud and excited to back the England team ahead of Sunday's final, but damaging the appearance of a public space is a selfish, reckless and unsafe way of showing support, which is why it was so disappointing to learn of the damage to the mini roundabout. The centre of the road is a dangerous place for an unqualified person painting on the floor with no protection or appropriate traffic management provision in place. The person or people who did this posed a huge risk to themselves and others.

"It will take time and money to restore the roundabout to its original condition – these are resources that could be put to better use for the community and local residents.

"We encourage people to report instances of graffiti or damage to our streets via our website at www.blackpool.gov.uk/Graffiti – we investigate all incidents and take action where necessary."

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