Additional reporting by Chloe Brewster

A village could go without its Christmas lights due to flags put up over the summer, a parish council has warned.

Harrietsham, near Maidstone, has had the decorations every year along the A20 Ashford Road for as long as residents can remember.

But the area’s parish council says it cannot put them up this year until St George’s flags flying from lamposts along the route are taken down, due to conditions of the permit issued by Kent County Council.

The chairman of Harrietsham Parish Council told KentOnline that it is the KCC Highways' responsibility to take down the flags.

But the authority said in August it would not remove St George's or Union flags, unless they posed a risk to members of the public.

Cllr Eddie Powell has today called on the people who put up the flags to take them down – or risk the lights being cancelled.

He said: “When the flags were first erected, the matter was discussed with our contractor and they advised that they could install the Christmas lights around the flags without issue.

“However, with the caveat placed on the installation of the Christmas lights by KCC, this is no longer an option available to the parish council.

“It is not within the contractor's remit to remove flags as part of the installation process.

“As the flags and street columns are not parish council property, we are not permitted to use public funds to pay for their removal.

“We are hoping that whoever installed the flags will be able to remove them in due course to allow for the festive lights to be installed as planned.”

Peter Osborne, Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport for Kent County Council, said: "The claim that Harrietsham Parish Council will face significant extra costs is simply wrong.

“The contractor they have already hired to install the Christmas lights can remove any obstructing flags as part of the same job - no additional significant expense should be expected.

"We fully support communities coming together to celebrate Christmas with festive lights - it’s a valued tradition that brings people together.

“But safety must come first. Flags on streetlight columns pose a risk during installation, so they must be removed to ensure the lights go up safely and can be enjoyed by everyone."

Patrick Willoughby, who runs Lee Davey Caravans Ltd in Ashford Road, says it is “ridiculous that Christmas is now cancelled for someone putting a flag up”.

He said: “It seems pretty ridiculous, doesn’t it? That you don’t get Christmas lights because someone’s put a flag up on a telegraph pole

“I don’t know if it's people being political, but if the lights are normally there, then removing the obstruction would be my philosophy.

“It seems crazy. Wouldn’t it be common sense to get the flags down while the lights are put up?

“I haven’t noticed them really, they’re clearly not that great. But it does seem daft not to have lights at Christmas.”