Keep your donnies off my flag! UKIP's Bill Etheridge refuses to remove Black Country flag from EU office
A West Midlands MEP has warned 'interfering EU busybodies' not to show their fizzogs in his EU office after receiving a warning over displaying the Black Country flag.
Bill Etheridge has flown the flag from the window of his Brussels office for weeks, but on the eve of Black Country Day he was told to take it down for allegedly breaching EU rules.
Mr Etheridge, who is also a Dudley councillor for UKIP, said he was 'utterly furious' and branded EU bosses 'disgraceful' for asking him to take the flag down.
He has refused to remove the flag and says he will 'continue to fly it with pride', vowing that anyone attempting to take it down will receive 'a traditional Black Country response'.
A warning letter sent to Mr Etheridge states that 'notices and posters' that are displayed are subject to 'the principles of mutual respect and dignity'.
It adds: "Notices and posters shall not undermine the dignity of Parliament and under no circumstances shall they be offensive or of an inflammatory nature or contradictory to the values on which the Union is founded."
The letter warns infringement of the rules would lead to such material being removed by ushers or the security services at the Parliament.
Mr Etheridge, who campaigned for Britain to leave the EU in the referendum, said: "So the EU think a flag identifying the proud cultural heritage of the Black Country may be deemed offensive? What an insult.
"I find the heavy-handed, constant interference of these EU busybodies offensive and disgraceful.
"Should there be any attempt to remove the flag they will receive a traditional Black Country response or two from me.
"So any lummocks planning to remove the flag had better pin back their lugholes and listen.
"I don't want their donnies anywhere near it so it is best that they don't show their fizzogs in my office."
The Black Country flag was at the centre of a row last year when equalities campaigner Patrick Vernon branded it 'offensive' and 'insensitive'. He said the use of chains on the flag represented a disturbing image of an industry that profited from slavery and colonial rule in Africa.
It led to Wolverhampton-born Mr Vernon, who now lives in London, facing accusations of hypocrisy because he was made a member of the Order of the British Empire.
