Police have 'more than enough to do' without getting involved in national flag displays: Empey

He was commenting after the PSNI deputy Bobby Singleton this week suggested that Union flags and tricolours could sometimes constitute "intimidation" and "harassment", and that officers might take them down in some circumstances.

Lord Empey also questioned how such a policy could exist alongside the current drive by councils to install Irish language street signs across the Province, which he likened to "a sophisticated way of painting the kerbstones".

This week saw news emerge that the PSNI has issued a 27-page set of instructions to officers setting out what they should do about public displays of emblems.

Titled "Responding to Complaints about Public Displays," the policy deals with "contentious, illegal, or offensive material" such as paramilitary flags.

It says that, if an offence is suspected and it is safe to do so, officers should take the material down themselves (with the approval of an officer of inspector rank or above).

Elsewhere, the document suggests that this could also be done where "the material is likely to cause significant disorder" or is "causing harm/offence to communities".

Mr Singleton then went on Nolan Live to elaborate on this policy.

He talked about a hypothetical example of a Catholic family planning to move into an area and then suddenly flags appear “as a means of intimidation”.

"I mean, we've even seen that with national flags whether that's the Union flag, tricoulor, whatever – that's happened in the past,” said Mr Singleton.

"So just, again, because the flag itself isn't illegal doesn't mean that it can't form part of unlawful activity.”

Asked if officers would take national flags down in those circumstances, he replied that if "harm" is being caused "we are required to take some form of action in order to prevent that from continuing".

DUP MP Sammy Wilson told the News Letter yesterday that the idea of the PSNI interfering with Union flags is a "dangerous" one, saying that they should be seen as "sacrosanct".

Lord Empey has now told the News Letter: "There is a quite distinct difference between paramilitary flags and the Union flag for very obvious reasons."

He said authorities in England last summer took down St George's flags from lampposts "and it didn't work terribly well" (the flags just reappeared in greater numbers).

He also pointed to the Sinn Fein-driven Irish language policy now in force in Belfast, where a request from a single resident can lead to Irish street signs being installed.

"The rationale for that is it's like a sophisticated way of painting the kerbstones," he said.

"That's in my view the same type of thing.

"But I don't really see the practicalities of it.

"Getting the police into this sort of situation is a very, very difficult position. It's almost an impossible position in my opinion.

"By far the best way of doing it if possible is working through community groups and local people.

"To get the police themselves having to physically climb up lampposts and take down tricolours, I'd have thought they have more than enough to do as things stand.

"I'm not sure it's something that'll have any meaningful success.

"To get the police, when we've so many problems with crime, with theiving, to get them shimmying up lampposts to take flags down, as a former member of the Police Authority – who spent 10 years on it – I just would find it very, very hard to put officers in that position."

He added: "Where do you draw the line? Where does it end?"