Health and safety rules mean a Union flag will not be flying from a Colchester Council office block in the near future.

Officers looked into putting up a flag at Rowan House, in Sheepen Road, where most council staff are based.

But they discovered a health and safety assessment, written after a council flag was put up, stating flags can only be put up using scaffolding.

Will Quince, Colchester’s Conservative parliamentary candidate, presented council leader Anne Turrell with a Union flag.

He said: “I’m incredibly proud to be British and it pleases me greatly when I walk around the town to see many people who proudly display our Union flag.”

Mrs Turrell said she could not justify the expense of erecting scaffolding just to put up a flag.

She said: “Health and safety won’t allow us to do it, unless we scaffold the building.

“That costs thousands of pounds and I’m sure the taxpayers of Colchester wouldn’t want us to spend that to put a flag up.”

Mr Quince said: “I think it’s really sad we can’t fly the Union flag for health and safety reasons.

“I’m happy to go up there and put it up myself.”