Skull and cross boy!
Family told to take down Asperger child’s toy pirate flag …because it breaches rules on ADVERTISING
IN Anthony Steele’s world, his back garden is an ocean upon which a pirate ship sails in search of treasure.
But the seven-year- old’s fantasy has been sunk by council officials who say his Jolly Roger breaches planning rules on ‘advertising’.
They acted after an unnamed neighbour made a complaint about the flag, which flutters from the top of a fishing rod.
Anthony’s mother, Sara Steele, and her partner Ronnie Ford-Kennedy received a letter ordering them to remove it or face being dragged to court.
The couple said they have no option but to comply with the law but complained it was ridiculous the flag was considered advertising.
They are also concerned at the impact it will have on Anthony, who has Asperger’s syndrome. ‘ He struggles with change and has been quite upset we need to take the flag down,’ said Miss Steele, 33, of Tattershall, Lincolnshire.
‘ It’s sad that someone has reported a child’s toy to the council. We don’t understand why it constitutes advertising when it is just a standard pirate’s flag.’
Father-of-two Mr Ford-kennedy, 42, a former military policeman who now works as a personal assistant, added: ‘Anthony likes playing pirates and when I have my daughters here they all play pirates together.
‘We’ve told him we’ve got to take the flag down but he doesn’t really understand and neither do we.’
Mr Ford-kennedy proudly flew a flag of St George in his garden for three years without attracting any complaints. But he switched it for the skull and crossbones three months ago after Anthony became fascinated with pirates.
The schoolboy, whose development is aided by make-believe games, had his interest further fired following a trip to Disneyland Paris, where staff dressed as characters from Pirates of the Caribbean.
But a letter arrived on Friday from East Lindsey Council’s planning
‘The law must be upheld’
enforcement department warning it was an offence to display an advert without consent. It also stated the pole should not exceed a height of two metres.
The family were given 28 days to remove the flag, otherwise the offence would be heard in court where the maximum fine is £2,500, plus an extra ten per cent for every day the breach continues. If they wanted to request permission to keep it they would have to pay a £95 application fee.
The National Autistic Society said: ‘To help them cope, people with Asperger’s will often stick to very rigid routines and have intense interests, so a sudden, unexplained change can cause real distress and upset.’
The council took action under the 2007 Town and Country Planning Act which states that only national flags and some others, including those of the European Union and the United Nations, may be flown without permission.
The Tory-run authority yesterday indicated it had been reluctant to intervene but had no option under law. A spokesman said: ‘It might all seem a bit trivial but once it has been brought to our attention we have to ensure the law is upheld.’ The April issue of Vanity Fair magazine, on sale on Friday