Roger Brain, of Gestridge Road, Kingsteignton, writes:

I was staggered to see in last Friday's MDA that a local taxi driver has been asked to remove a badge containing the flag of St George (patron saint of England) from her cab. The reason given by a Teignbridge Council 'spokesman' was that it was 'denigrating and offensive to international people'.

In normal English we can assume that this means the council considers that the flag of St George is offensive to foreigners. (Just how many have they asked? How many of these imaginary foreigners have complained to the council? In both cases I assume the answer would be none, zilch, nada.)

I wonder what this council would have done if the flag being complained about had contained the Scottish Saltire, Welsh Dragon or the Northern Irish cross instead of the flag of St George? Let me suggest they would have done absolutely nothing. They would have ignored this one (yes, one) commercially-driven complaint for fear of a massive backlash from the Scots, Welsh and Irish communities.

But behaving in an insulting manner towards the English appears to be all right. I can only hope I am not the only one very unhappy about the manner in which TDC handled this matter.

What they seem to be doing is expounding a load of left wing, politically-correct bunkum that deems it right, correct and acceptable to insult or suppress anything that can be construed as 'English' while at the same time seems petrified of using the benign word 'foreigner' in case it just might upset somebody not born in this country!

Before the TDC 'spokesman' opened his or her mouth to insult the flag of St George (and therefore the vast majority of Teignbridge residents) did it bother to look at the crest of Teignbridge? I suspect not as, it contains the cross of St Andrew. If one cross can be described as 'denigrating and offensive' why not others?

I wish Ms Said well and would encourage her (and other taxi drivers) to 'fly the flag' and if any of your readers have a flag of St George hanging around I would encourage them to display it on their car, too, as a 'salute' to the petty, divisive, politically-correct driven minds of Teignbridge DC.MORE LETTERS IN OUR DIGITAL EDITION