Jolly Roger gesture is put to the sword

She wanted to fly the Jolly Roger in her garden for a bit of fun - but Carol Clark's plan to run the flag up the pole has been shot down in flames.

Mrs Clark, 47, from The Rookery, Whitchurch, received a letter from the borough council after someone complained about the flag being flown.

An inspection by a council official followed - and Mrs Clark was then told flying the pirates' emblem contravened advertising regulations and that she would have to apply for consent, at a cost of £265, or risk legal action.



Mrs Clark, who works for Winterthur Life, said: "This is the daftest thing I've ever heard of. I thought someone was playing a joke when the letter arrived.

"To go to all the trouble of sending someone round to inspect the flag seems like an incredible waste of money. In the end, we decided it wasn't worth all the hassle and took it down."

Mrs Clark has now decided to replace the Jolly Roger with a Union Flag, which does not require consent to be flown.