Express & Star

Look! It's the lesser spotted Black Country coconut!

He may have been on holiday in sunny Mexico, but Dudley councillor Adam Aston was clearly missing the good ol' Black Country So much so, he painted a coconut with the eye-catching design of the Black Country flag.

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The Upper Gornal and Woodsetton councillor then posed for a pic with his creation before placing it on a rock with a glittering ocean view in the background and taking another.

The design was originally created by 11-year-old Stourbridge schoolgirl Grace Sheppard back in 2012 to become the region's official flag.

It was flown during the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The flag was inspired by Elihu Burrit, the American consul to Birmingham, who described the region as 'black by day and red by night' in 1862.

Its design hit national headlines when it was criticised as being 'offensive' to black people in July by historian Patrick Vernon.

Mr Vernon's comments fuelled a row about the design, with irate Dudley Council leader Pete Lowe suggesting the historian should hand back his Order of the British Empire medal.

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