Father who flew Jolly Roger for daughter’s birthday prosecuted by council
A fireman is facing legal action for flying a £5 Jolly Roger outside his house. David Waterman, 41, is being threatened with court proceedings after a neighbour complained about the skull and crossbones. The father of four erected the 5ft by 3ft flag for his daughter’s pirate-themed eighth birthday party and is determined to keep it. He says pursuing him to remove it is a “disgraceful” waste of taxpayers’ money.
Mr Waterman is now paying £95 to apply for advertising consent for the flag in Purcells Close, Ashtead, Surrey but a senior officer from Mole Valley council has warned him it is unlikely to be granted.
In a letter dated 21 April, seven weeks after the flag was unfurled, the official said he had seven days to remove it.
Mr Waterman, who works at Battersea fire station, said: “I find it ridiculous that the council are fighting me over this.
“It’s a £5 flag, not hurting anyone, and they’re probably spending hundreds of pounds of our cash getting me to take it down. That could be spent on improving the local area — it’s disgraceful.”
He said other residents’ complaints about the flag were the latest salvo in a dispute over his children playing outside. [full story]
All this in the U.K. while treating real pirates with kid gloves? The mind reels.
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