THE Union flag has been raised over the offices of Wellington Town Council for the first time in more than a decade.

The council installed a new flagpole on Friday (June 5) a day ahead of the anniversary of the 1944 D-Day landings in Normandy which saw the start of the end of World War Two.

The move comes eight months after the social media-driven campaign ‘Operation Raise the Colours’ swept through the town with dozens of Union and Cross of St George flags hoisted on lampposts from the Cades roundabout on one side to Rockwell Green at the other end.

The previous council flagpole was removed in 2015 when the Fore Street offices were owned by then-Taunton Deane Borough Council and underwent refurbishment.

Town councillors were unable to find a suitable alternative location for a flagpole despite numerous requests over the years from residents.

Now, with the building in town council ownership the authority has been able to replace the missing brackets and erect a flagpole of its own.

A town council spokesperson said: “We are pleased to share that after many years we once again have a Union flag flying on the front of our building at 28-30 Fore Street.

“It has been a lengthy process to get a flagpole reinstated as our building is grade two listed and within the conservation area of the town.

“The Union flag will fly on a daily basis with St George’s flag and the Somerset flag also making guest appearances as appropriate.”

But, the move immediately stirred controversy on social media with some residents calling for other flags to be considered, including a Pride flag as June has been designated an LGBT month, the month when New York’s Stonewall riots happened in 1969, to celebrate the history, culture, and contributions of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities.