A council has been granted a High Court injunction banning people from hanging flags from lampposts as workers live 'in fear' of intimidation for taking them down.Maintenance staff at Oxfordshire County Council have been told to wear face coverings and check their vehicles for trackers when removing the flags after a colleague's home address was published by campaigners. The local authority, which was previously run by the Liberal Democrats but now has no overall control, had brought legal action to stop people raising flags near highways, which it said involved safety risks, as well as trespass and obstruction.The widespread flying of Union and St George's Cross flags, following an online campaign called Operation Raise the Colours, has become contentious and several councils have removed them from public infrastructure.While some politicians decried the removals, others claimed the increased number being flown was a result of xenophobia or racism.Oxfordshire County Council said flags had been placed on or near public roads without permission for months, despite a formal legal notice in March and pre-action legal letters sent to individuals in May.In a judgment on Friday, Mr Justice Dexter Dias made an injunction ordering unknown people not to attach flags to highway structures or paint them on roads in Oxfordshire.Breach of the injunction can lead to seizures of assets, unlimited fines or imprisonment. Oxfordshire County Council made a bid to ban flags from being raised on or near public highways. Pictured: Flags attached to lampposts in Birmingham Tim Bearder, the Liberal Democrat leader of the council, said it supported 'the right of residents to display flags on their own private property'The judge said: 'The motivation for the claimant's application against persons unknown is that a significant body of participants in the affixing of flags in Oxfordshire remains unidentified at the time of the applications, and indeed at the hearings before the court.''Although the claimant has repeatedly removed unauthorised flags, more flags are later affixed.'People directed by the claimant, whether council employees or contractors, have been obstructed in the execution of their removal duties, to the extent that at times they have simply given up on the removal.'The judge said workers have faced abuse or intimidation while taking flags down, as well as residents.Maintenance teams have been 'working in fear', are told to wear face coverings and have had to check vehicles for tracking tags after a worker's home address was published, he said. Mr Justice Dexter Dias added: 'The affixing of flags and the painting of insignia on the highway has continued consistently and persistently since August 2025.'There is little prospect absent an injunction that it will stop.'The judgment comes after three people associated with Operation Raise the Colours – Ben Cullen, Trudy Wells and Ryan Bridge – gave undertakings 'not to engage in any future flag-related activity'.Mr Justice Dexter Dias also made an order granting an injunction against group member Kevin Good.However there has been no suggestion that the individuals named here or below have been involved in any intimidatory activities against council workers removing flags. Since last summer's Operation Raise the Colours campaign, Union and St George's flags have appeared on lampposts and road barriers across the country.Some councils moved to take down the flags and paint over some roundabouts which saw flag designs painted across them.Oxfordshire County Council said last month: 'Residents across Oxfordshire, from Adderbury to Wallingford, have complained to the council about safety risks, intimidation and distress linked to this activity. This aerial photo shows two roundabouts in Walsall painted with red St George's Crosses 'The ongoing scale and persistence of the behaviour by Raise the Colours has created safety risks, caused distress within communities, and led to abuse and intimidation directed at council teams and residents.'Tim Bearder, the leader of the council, said: 'We proudly fly the Union Flag and St George's flag at County Hall and we fully support the right of residents to display flags on their own private property.'However, there's an important distinction between lawful expression and activity that puts people at risk or intimidates residents in their own communities.'This activity is not about national pride or unity. It is unlawful behaviour, which has caused fear and division within our communities.'But Conservative councillor Liam Walker said 'many residents' would 'question whether this is really the right time to be escalating matters further through the courts' as England had begun their World Cup campaign at the time.'Common sense and proportionality should always guide decision-making, particularly when the costs involved are ultimately borne by taxpayers,' he said.But a council spokesman insisted at the time that there was no link between the timing of the High Court hearing and the World Cup.In January, the local authority removed and painted over more than 333 Union and St George's Cross flags at an average cost of £45 per flag.In total councillors said around £15,000 had been spent taking down flags.Operation Raise the Colours encouraged supporters to mount flags in their communities last summer in an effort which has continued since.But the group was criticised for its links to far-right groups after it was revealed last year that it accepted a donation from Britain First.Andy Saxon, one of the campaign's organisers, said he did not believe Britain First was a far-right group.The party campaigns for 'remigration' and supports a new treason law for politicians who 'alter the demographic makeup of the British Isles'.Mr Saxon, a father-of-five, has previously reshared posts from Britain First leader Paul Golding and said: 'I am indeed a supporter of Tommy Robinson.'Commenting on Oxfordshire County Council's action against flag-raising, Mr Walker previously said: 'Whatever people's views on this underlying issue about flags on lamp-posts, taxpayers are entitled to ask how much this entire process is costing.'At a time when local authorities are under immense financial pressure and residents are seeing services stretched, there must be full transparency about the total cost of this action and who will ultimately be footing the bill.'