Walsall town centre came to a standstill after firefighters were called to remove a flagpole which had become dangerously loose above a bank, posing a threat to shoppers below.

Traffic came to a halt in Lichfield Street, which was cordoned off by police to allow crews to carry out the operation yesterday.

They used a crane to take down the pole which was teetering precariously above the HSBC bank.

Buses due to pick up passengers were around half an hour late while crews from Walsall fire station scaled the building.

Staff and customers in the bank were evacuated from the building and joined dozens of onlookers who watched the drama unfold.

Firefighters were called at around 3.30pm yesterday after members of the public reported that the flagpole was loose and feared it could fall on to pedestrians below.

Mary Price, aged 68, was waiting for a bus to take her back to her home in Burrowes Street but had to wait half an hour for it to arrive.

She said: “I could see the flagpole was swaying dangerously and it could easily have come crashing down onto someone walking on the pavement below.”

Ian Keen, aged 41, from Lower Farm, Bloxwich added: “The whole town came to a standstill.”