Up and down the country, a soaring number of road signs and markings have become the canvas for a painted St. George’s Cross.

The graffiti trend has not escaped the South Hams, with markings appearing throughout Kingsbridge over the August bank holiday weekend.

The movement started in mid-August when Birmingham-based groups the Weoley Warriors and Weoley Castle Warriors, alongside Operation Raise the Colours, rallied to have the national emblems displayed in public places.

Initially, St. George’s Cross and the Union Flag were tied to lampposts around Birmingham and Tower Hamlets in East London - promptly being removed sparking outrage from supporters of the campaign, who view the action as anti-patriotic.

Unauthorised flying of flags on public property is prohibited under the Highways Act 1980, as they can cause a distraction and endanger road users. The removal of the flags cites health and safety concerns and is not politically motivated.

The same act applies to unauthorised defacing of road markings and signage - as well as being an act of vandalism.

The appearance of the cross has triggered a mixture of emotions within the Kingsbridge community. A social media poll carried out by the South Hams Gazette received a mixture of responses, with an almost entirely 50/50 split between supporting the painted road surfaces - labelled as “patriotic”, versus condemning the activity as “racist” and "abhorrent".

Unlike other councils, Devon County Council has focused on encouraging lawful flag-flying rather than pursuing the criminal aspect of the road markings. ​​A spokesperson for Devon County Council said: “We will always support those who wish to express patriotism and fly the nation’s flags on their own homes, however, we do ask the public not to fly flags, or paint them, on publicly owned property without first seeking the permission of the relevant authority.

“Doing so could breach the Highways Act and pose a risk to road users should they obstruct visibility, be a distraction or become loose. We may remove any flags that have been hung from lampposts without permission or if we consider them to be unlawful.

“Anyone wishing to fly a flag on property that Devon County Council is responsible for can apply at no cost through our website.”

Kingsbridge Town Council has said the matter is likely to feature at the next council meeting on 9 September, but highlighted: “The spraying is on public authority managed assets and therefore it can only be considered as vandalism. It also grabs the attention of motorists when they should be concentrating on their driving.”

Supporters of the campaign say it reflects a sense of loss felt by, predominantly white, British communities. The campaign claims to ‘give hope to local communities that all isn’t lost’.

This is the latest exploit in ongoing national debates about identity and belonging. Although the St. George’s Cross is not inherently associated with the far-right, it has been used by those groups since the 1970’s. To many, the St. George’s Cross is a proud symbol of our nation. But to others, it has become synonymous with nationalist ideologies.