A council worker could face the sack
after he lowered the town hall flag in memory of six British soldiers
who died in Afghanistan - despite it proudly flying a rainbow banner in
support of gay rights just weeks before.
Having
seen Bassetlaw District Council in Worksop, Nottinghamshire, show its
support for good causes and agreeing to fly the symbolic rainbow flag
last month, the unnamed worker lowered the council's own flag to half
mast as a gesture to the soldiers.
But the employee, an ex-serviceman himself, was served with disciplinary papers alleging 'gross misconduct'.
It is thought he is also being quizzed
for failing to carry out a 'thorough health and safety assessment'
before lowering the flag on Tuesday, the day in which the bodies of the
six soldiers killed in a car bomb were flown home.
Those close to the employee, who is
said to suffer from post traumatic stress disorder following his own
deployment, are now concerned about the impact of his reprimand.
Speaking to the Sun a friend of the employee, said: 'This is an outrage.
'The council knows about his stress disorder.'
'They promote gay rights but have piled into an ex-serviceman for honouring six guys who died fighting for their country.
'This has sent the guy into bad depression.'
Decisions about when it is appropriate
to lower the flag continue to be shrouded in confusion as the flag of
the local Mercian Regiment was at half-mast over the town hall yesterday
- in honour of a soldier killed on Wednesday.
The deaths of Sgt Nigel Coupe, 33, Cpl
Jake Hartley, 20, Pte Anthony Frampton, 20, Pte Christopher Kershaw,
19, Pte Daniel Wade, 20, and Pte Daniel Wilford, 21, were the single
biggest loss of British life in Afghanistan since 2006 and took the
total number of British military fatalities since 2001 to more than 400.
Their bodies were flown back to Britain early this week an in Oxon more than 2,000 people turned out to pay their respects.
Five of the men were from
3rd Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment and a sixth was attached from 1st
Battalion the Duke of Lancaster’s regiment
A spokesman for the council wouldn't be drawn on the incident but said: 'We have a strong association with the Mercians.
'It is policy to lower the flag in the tragic event of loss of life.'
Read more: Daily Mail
after he lowered the town hall flag in memory of six British soldiers
who died in Afghanistan - despite it proudly flying a rainbow banner in
support of gay rights just weeks before.
Having
seen Bassetlaw District Council in Worksop, Nottinghamshire, show its
support for good causes and agreeing to fly the symbolic rainbow flag
last month, the unnamed worker lowered the council's own flag to half
mast as a gesture to the soldiers.
But the employee, an ex-serviceman himself, was served with disciplinary papers alleging 'gross misconduct'.
It is thought he is also being quizzed
for failing to carry out a 'thorough health and safety assessment'
before lowering the flag on Tuesday, the day in which the bodies of the
six soldiers killed in a car bomb were flown home.
Those close to the employee, who is
said to suffer from post traumatic stress disorder following his own
deployment, are now concerned about the impact of his reprimand.
Speaking to the Sun a friend of the employee, said: 'This is an outrage.
'The council knows about his stress disorder.'
'They promote gay rights but have piled into an ex-serviceman for honouring six guys who died fighting for their country.
'This has sent the guy into bad depression.'
Decisions about when it is appropriate
to lower the flag continue to be shrouded in confusion as the flag of
the local Mercian Regiment was at half-mast over the town hall yesterday
- in honour of a soldier killed on Wednesday.
The deaths of Sgt Nigel Coupe, 33, Cpl
Jake Hartley, 20, Pte Anthony Frampton, 20, Pte Christopher Kershaw,
19, Pte Daniel Wade, 20, and Pte Daniel Wilford, 21, were the single
biggest loss of British life in Afghanistan since 2006 and took the
total number of British military fatalities since 2001 to more than 400.
Their bodies were flown back to Britain early this week an in Oxon more than 2,000 people turned out to pay their respects.
Five of the men were from
3rd Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment and a sixth was attached from 1st
Battalion the Duke of Lancaster’s regiment
A spokesman for the council wouldn't be drawn on the incident but said: 'We have a strong association with the Mercians.
'It is policy to lower the flag in the tragic event of loss of life.'
Read more: Daily Mail
