World Cup 2018: Support never flags for this Shropshire football fan
Fly your flags with pride - this is the message from one Shropshire football fan who has been covering his house in England flags for each World Cup for more than 30 years.
Nigel Thompson, of Mount Pleasant Road, Shrewsbury, has been supporting England since he watched his first World Cup more than 50 years ago when he was just six.
Now, 52 years later, he has spread flags all over the outside of his house as he prepares for the first England game tonight.
And while some people have given him a pat on the back for his show of pride, others have even accused him of racism.
The news comes as the Government made changes to widen the types of flags supporters may fly in England.
A wider range of national, sub-national, community and international flags can now be flown.
Manchester United supporter Nigel said: "When I was six on the morning of the World Cup I remember I was learning to ride my bike and I ended up watching the game with grazed knees with all my family.
"Everybody says good on me, they love it, they asked me this year when I was putting the flags up as I was a bit late doing it.
"It took me about two hours to put them all up, but it's worth it, I'm a proud Englishman.
"I like to show my support for the country.
"But I did have a group of young lads knock on my door the other day telling me I was racist for flying the flags."
He added: "All of my family support Manchester United, I've been a season ticket holder for many years.
What are the official regulations over flags?
Any country’s national flag, civil ensign or civil air ensign can now be flown without consent, along with the flag of the Commonwealth, the European Union, the United Nations or any other international organisation of which the United Kingdom is a member.
Other flags not requiring consent include a flag of any island, county, district, borough, burgh, parish, city, town or village within the United Kingdom.
The flag of the Black Country, East Anglia, Wessex, any Part of Lincolnshire, any Riding of Yorkshire or any historic county within the United Kingdom can be flown, the flag of any administrative area within any country outside the United Kingdom, any flag of Her Majesty’s forces, or the Armed Forces Day flag.
It came after a number of cases in the 2010 World Cup where councils asked for flags to be taken down over health and safety grounds.
Beforehand it was illegal to fly a national flag without permission from the council - unless it was from a vertical flagpole.
Drivers have to consider a number of issues when flying a flag while driving. For example, vision, if it could be classed as an insecure load, the size of the flag, and if a mascot on the car could injure someone in the event of a crash.
