England and union flags being flown across parts of Birmingham are being taken down, with the city council claiming it is due to maintenance works.

In recent weeks the Union Jack and St George’s Cross have been hung in the Weoley Castle and Northfield areas of the city, which locals said they were doing in an act of patriotism.

But Birmingham City Council issued a safety plea to residents attaching the flags to lampposts and other street furniture.

It said it was upgrading streetlights to energy-efficient LED lighting and had so far removed about 200 banners and flags.

A statement issued by the council said the work would reduce energy use and lower maintenance costs.

It said: “Work is due to begin imminently, and lamp columns need to remain free from attachments so work can be carried out as quickly and safely as possible.

“People who attach unauthorised items to lampposts could be putting their lives and those of motorists and pedestrians at risk.

“We [are] continuing to do this every week and would ask that staff doing this work are allowed to continue this work unhindered.”

Hayley Owens, a former West Midlands Police investigator who is now a podcaster, told the BBC that the decision had caused a lot of controversy with local residents.

“I just don’t think an attachment of a flag to a lamppost is a safety concern,” she said.

“The potholes are a safety concern, the rubbish flying around the streets that aren’t being collected is a safety concern, but the flags aren’t.”

She said the flags had “brought so much joy to the community”, adding: “Everybody’s buzzing, everybody’s really happy seeing the flags, everybody’s talking about it.”

Residents have reacted with a mix of anger and confusion on local social media groups.

Many have questioned the council’s intentions for taking down the flags down.

A fundraiser has been organised by campaigners Weoley Warriors to raise money for more flags. With more than £4,000 gathered so far – the group said its aim was to “give hope to local communities”.

But the council’s statement said placing “unauthorised attachments” on street furniture could be dangerous – adding that “stress tests” were carried out by the council ahead of celebrations in the city.

It said: “Lampposts are engineered for their specific purpose, and adding extra weight or stress from flags and attachments can cause them to weaken over time, potentially leading to collapse.”