New photographs supplied to us show members of Flagman UK working during the evening to attach Union Flags to lampposts, with ladders and high-visibility clothing being used as the display was restored. The flags can once again be seen prominently along Westwey Road and Portland Beach Road.

Flag Man UK Weymouth & Portland

The latest development follows several weeks of debate over the displays. Flagman UK was identified as the group behind the original installation of Union Flags on lampposts around Weymouth at the beginning of September.

On 5 September, Dorset Council removed a number of the flags. The authority said permission had not been granted for anything to be attached to its street furniture and stressed that its decision concerned highway regulations rather than the Union Flag itself.

A council spokesperson said the authority had a responsibility to ensure the safe and lawful use of public infrastructure, adding that unauthorised attachments would be removed regardless of their symbolism.

Now, less than two weeks later, the red, white and blue has returned.
For supporters of the display, the flags are a straightforward expression of British identity and national pride. Flagman UK has carried out similar installations elsewhere in the country and recently asked its followers directly what they thought of the flags appearing in Weymouth.

The sight is particularly striking along Weymouth's illuminated roads at night, where rows of Union Flags can be seen flying from the lampposts.

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National flags already have an established place in Weymouth's civic life. Weymouth Town Council's official 2026 flag-flying programme includes the Union Flag on occasions including Commonwealth Day, St George's Day, the King's official birthday, the anniversary of the King's accession and Remembrance Day.

There is also a much longer historical connection. Weymouth Museum's account of VE Day in 1945 describes Union Jacks being displayed throughout the town, with flags counted in their hundreds around St Thomas Street and St Mary Street as residents celebrated the end of the war in Europe.

The renewed display will therefore be welcomed by those residents who see the Union Flag as a positive symbol of the town's British identity, military connections and history.
However, the disagreement with Dorset Council has not disappeared. The authority's stated position remains that attaching objects to council-controlled street furniture without permission is not permitted, irrespective of what is being displayed.

That leaves the flags' longer-term future uncertain.