St George's Cross painted on mini-roundabout and road markings in Blackpool as part of national campaign

A number of St George's Crosses have been painted on road markings and mini-roundabouts on a Blackpool street, as Operation Raise The Colours sweeps the UK. Locals involved in the campaign targeted two mini-roundabouts and several road surface marks on West Park Drive during Bank Holiday Weekend.

Painting the roads red

The red paint was spotted on Sunday afternoon, as people across the country were encouraged to hoist Union Jacks and St George’s Cross flags as a mark of patriotism.

Last week, fed-up residents in Birmingham took a flag row to the streets by painting the St George’s Cross on mini-roundabouts, after Birmingham City Council announced English flags hoisted from lampposts would be removed.

Why are people painting mini-roundabouts?

Council chiefs in Birmingham sparked fury when they ordered the flags to be ripped down, saying the "unauthorised items" are "dangerous" and could potentially kill motorists and pedestrians - which led people to paint the road instead.

Since then, road markings in Kent, Portsmouth and Burnham On Sea have also been sprayed with the cross of Saint George.

Illegal to paint over road markings

While the movement has divided opinion, West Midlands Police warned that the act of painting over road markings is illegal, while others pointed out that it will "cost taxpayers money" to return the road markings to their original state.

Section 132 of the Highways Act 1980 makes it an offense to paint or mark the surface of a highway without the permission of the highway authority or a valid authorization