Operation Raise the Colours founder charged with 14 offences

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Ryan Bridge attended Reform UK's party conference over the weekend while on bail

The founder of the Operation Raise the Colours group has been charged with 14 offences, including racially aggravated intentional harassment, alarm or distress.

Ryan Bridge, 45, the activist behind the group which put Union and St George's Cross flags up across parts of the UK, has been accused of threatening and abusive behaviour, racially aggravated offences and assault.

He has been leading Raise the Colours, which has been attaching flags to lampposts in the Midlands and the south of England over the last 12 months.

Last night, Thames Valley Police confirmed Bridge, who was in attendance at Reform UK's annual conference in Birmingham last week, has been charged with 14 offences.

Bridge, of Station Road in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, has been charged with seven counts of using threatening words or behaviour to cause harassment, alarm or distress.

He is also charged with three counts of using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour with intent to cause fear of, or provoke, unlawful violence

Additionally, Bridge is charged with two counts of racially aggravated intentional harassment, alarm or distress.

And Bridge will face one count of racially aggravated fear of violence and one count of common assault.

The charges are related to incidents which occurred between January 31 and March 31 in Oxfordshire, the police said.

Bridge is due to appear at Oxford Magistrates' Court on November 3.

Oxfordshire County Council secured an injunction in July to prohibit unidentified persons from attaching St George's and Union flags to lampposts.

The injunction also included painting flags on roads throughout the county.

The legal proceedings took months. But on July 31, Mr Justice Dexter Dias delivered his judgement.

He said: "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.

"There is little prospect absent an injunction that it will stop."

Birmingham City Council is also seeking a similar injunction.

Papers submitted to the High Court suggest the local authority plans to remove 20,000 flags in the community.