Residents are planning to “de-flag” a town this weekend while a protest occurs elsewhere in Kent amid rising tensions over immigration and national symbols.

A leaflet advertising the so-called “clean-up” of Faversham has been shared on social media.

Organisers have informed police of their intentions as they are worried it could spark confrontation amid a “febrile” atmosphere in the town.

Those who originally hung dozens of St George’s Crosses around Faversham have already warned that they intend to put back any flags that are removed.

It comes after anti-immigration demonstrators held a huge rally in the town earlier this month and were met with a counter-protest.

The leaflet circulating this week promotes a “community clean-up” event on Saturday.

“Please come together as the community of Faversham unite to de-flag our town and bring it back to the inclusive haven we know and love,” the message reads.

It continues: “All welcome - a large, positive group presence is just as important as those who are willing to be actively involved in removal.

“While further protests happen in Canterbury at the same time, we plan to use the opportunity to remove litter from street furniture and make our town feel welcoming to all once again.”

Simultaneously on Saturday, anti-immigration protesters are planning to muster at the Westgate Towers in Canterbury at 10am and later march to Connors House on Craddock Road, a former care home used by the county council to house unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC).

Canterbury Jewellers & Pawnbrokers in St Peter’s Street have announced on Facebook that they will not open until midday on Saturday due to the planned protests.

“We feel it is important not to provide the audience these groups are seeking, and we would rather put the safety and wellbeing of our staff and customers first,” their Facebook post reads.

Harry Hilden, who helped organise the flying of the flags in Faversham and the recent protest, took to Facebook to criticise the planned “clean-up”.

“Do you know what those flags represent? That this is England, we are not letting our culture get erased and we are not becoming a minority in our own country,” he said in a video posted to the site.

“There are many, many more of us than you,” he continued.

“Try to take down our flags and other towns are going to get together and put them all back up, in this town and flag the s**t out of it and put them all back up.”

Organisers from Faversham Against Racism (FAR) - only founded a few weeks ago - confirmed that they are organising the planned removal of the flags.

A spokeswoman for the group spoke with the Local Democracy Reporting Service, but stressed that she did not want to be named due to the “febrile” atmosphere and fears of retaliation.

“Nobody has any issue with the St George’s flag or the Union Jack per se, absolutely not,” she stressed.

“We’ve got absolutely nothing against these flags but they’re not being raised in the spirit that many of us use them - they're being used to intimidate.”

A YouTube channel named The Flag Crusader shows groups hanging flags throughout the town and, at times, clashing with those who object.

The spokeswoman continued: “We’re in direct confrontation with them but we are not violent. We do not take on their tactics - we’re not threatening.”

She said that there are “absolutely” safety concerns for those taking part in the “de-flagging” on Saturday, but that Kent Police have been informed of the plans.

She stressed that in only a few weeks since being founded, Faversham Against Racism has hundreds of supporters on Facebook, and people in the community who have reached out to get involved.

“This is being arranged specifically while something else is going on so fewer people are around,” she said.

“Being patriotic is so much more than a polyester flag from Temu.

“We certainly do not detest our flags - if anything, we want to regain control of them.

“We detest that it’s been used as a stick to beat people with by those with narrow xenophobic and racist views.”

Around the country in recent weeks, St George’s Crosses and Union Flags have been hung as a sign of anti-immigration and anti-government sentiment.

The movement, dubbed ‘Operation Raise the Colours’, flared up after an Ethiopian asylum seeker housed at the Bell Hotel in Epping was charged with, and later found guilty of, sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl.

That incident has since sparked a wave of anti-immigration protests focusing on asylum accommodation, and widespread public discussion and controversy around the hanging of the national flags.

In late August, the Reform UK administration at Kent County Council (KCC) announced it would not be removing flags from lampposts around the county unless they pose a risk to members of the public.

A police spokesman said: “Any decision to remove flags and displays is a matter for the property owner alone.

“Officers will not be removing any flags anywhere in the county unless they pose a viable risk to public safety, such as endangering traffic.

“Kent Police has not removed any flags for safety, or any other reason, to date.”