CONTRITE councillors have been forced to apologise for failing to raise the flag on St George's Day

Charlotte Newton

CONTRITE councillors have been forced to apologise for failing to raise the flag on St George's Day.

Resident Ralph Crisp contacted Haringey Council on Wednesday after noticing that none of the borough's civic buildings were flying the flag - breaking with decades of tradition.

Mr Crisp, who lives in Hornsey Lane Gardens, Highgate, said: "I was disappointed to see that the council had failed to acknowledge St George's Day.

"We make much of other national days, such as St Patrick's and St Andrew's Day, and it's important to give St George's Day the same standing.

"With the most diverse community in the country, Haringey Council is very good at celebrating individual events such as Holocaust Memorial Day, Black History Month and International Women's Day.

"I feel that it was a missed opportunity to bring together every section of the community and reclaim the flag from racists. But I accept that this was an oversight by the council rather than a deliberate change of policy."

Council leader George Meehan said: "I can confirm that this was an oversight and not a policy decision. I have asked officers to ensure that in future years St George's flags fly above civic buildings on St George's day as a matter of routine."

A Haringey Council spokeswoman said: "Unfortunately this year the person who attends to the flag was off work and the flag was not raised until later in the day."

broadway@hamhigh.co.uk