Barnsley Council has opened an internal investigation after allegations that two councillors gained access to a restricted area of the town hall to remove a non-binary Pride flag. The claims, made public by the town’s Liberal Democrat group, say the pair confronted front desk staff before entering the building’s roof and replacing the flag with the St George’s Cross.
Allegations, police referral and monitoring officer probe
The town’s Liberal Democrat contingent reported the incident and said staff had found the councillors’ conduct “abusive and intimidating”. The party has confirmed the matter has been passed to the police to establish whether any criminal offence — or a hate-related element — occurred. Separately, the council’s monitoring officer has launched an investigation to determine if the councillors breached the Members’ Code of Conduct.
“These are serious allegations involving the treatment of council staff, access to a restricted area and the unauthorised removal of a flag being flown following a democratic decision of full council.”
The Lib Dems told InfoRadar the Pride flag was discarded on the ground and not returned to staff. They noted the flag had been flown after a motion passed at a full council meeting in 2023.
Context and wider dispute over flag policy
The incident forms part of a broader disagreement over the council’s flag policy under Barnsley’s new Reform leadership. Previously, Pride flags were flown during Pride month; however, the new administration initially indicated only three flags would be displayed over the town hall — the St George’s Cross, the Union Flag and the Barnsley Council flag — and has not flown the Pride flag in the same way.
- Alleged actions: argument with front desk staff, access to restricted roof area, removal and replacement of flag.
- Immediate responses: police notified; monitoring officer investigating possible code of conduct breaches.
- Previous decision: full council resolution in 2023 authorised the non-binary Pride flag to be flown.
Information released so far does not name the councillors involved. The council must now balance employee protections and due process for elected members while the separate criminal and standards inquiries progress.
What happens next
The police will determine whether any criminal offence has been committed and whether the matter carries a hate-related element. The monitoring officer’s investigation will assess whether the councillors’ behaviour contravened the obligations expected under the Members’ Code of Conduct. Depending on findings, disciplinary or ethical sanctions could follow.
| Key point | Current status |
|---|---|
| Police investigation | Reported to police; decision pending |
| Monitoring officer inquiry | Under way to examine potential code breaches |
| Flag disposition | Allegedly discarded and not returned to staff |
As inquiries proceed, council leaders will be under pressure to set out clearly how flag-flying decisions are made and to reassure staff that they are protected from intimidation. InfoRadar will follow developments and report any formal findings or statements from Barnsley Council and the police.
