Vandals sabotaged LGBTQ+ flags flying for Pride Month at an Armed Forces event in Weston-super-Mare, damaging flagpole mechanisms at two locations just days before a ceremonial flag-raising ceremony.
Damage and cost
The damage to the flagpole at the Italian Gardens was discovered on the morning of 19 June, according to Councillor Ciarán Cronnelly, leader of Weston-super-Mare Town Council and a member of North Somerset Council. A second flagpole at Grove Park, a short distance away, had been damaged earlier in the month. Both poles were flying the rainbow flag for Pride Month, which runs throughout June and is dedicated to celebrating LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.
In the Italian Gardens, cut ropes and a broken mechanism caused the damage. A temporary fix has been arranged, but the council estimates that a permanent repair will cost approximately £200 – an “unnecessary” expense for the taxpayer, Cronnelly said. The Grove Park flagpole suffered more significant damage, and a temporary repair is not possible. “No flag will fly from this for the foreseeable,” he added.
Impact on Pride Month celebrations and Armed Forces event
The vandalism occurred on the eve of Armed Forces and Emergency Services Day, scheduled for 22 June in Weston-super-Mare. The Italian Gardens flagpole is the site of a ceremonial flag-raising event for the day, which celebrates the work and sacrifice of the UK’s armed forces and emergency services. Cronnelly said a team from the town council is working alongside a contractor to fix the mechanism, and “a temporary fix is possible for the Italian Gardens flag pole which means the Armed Forces ceremonial flag raising event at the Italian Gardens this evening at 6.30pm will go ahead”. However, “due to the nature of the damage the flag can only stay up temporarily until a permanent repair to the flag pole has taken place”.
Because the Grove Park pole cannot be repaired quickly, the flag will not fly there for the foreseeable future. Cronnelly expressed disappointment, noting that the two attacks were unlikely to be a coincidence given the timing during Pride Month. “This targeted intolerance is a stark reminder of why we continue to celebrate Pride,” he said. “Tolerance remains and it’s not going away any time soon.” He added that while the vandals “may have hoped to have caused division, I can guarantee you’ve achieved the opposite”.
The town council organises a programme of events for Pride Month under its “Beautifully Proud” initiative, designed to promote inclusivity and community spirit. This year’s Weston-super-Mare Pride event – a march and community celebration with live music, performers and stalls – is scheduled to be held on 27 June at Grove Park, the same park where one of the flagpoles was damaged.
Previous incidents in the area
The Italian Gardens and Grove Park have both seen anti-social behaviour in recent years. In August 2022, graffiti was daubed across the Prince Consort Gardens (which includes the Italian Gardens), and plants were ripped up and stolen from flower beds. In November 2020, police were called to reports of street drinking, swearing and fighting, leading to a dispersal order and a woman being charged with assaulting a police officer. In August 2025, a public order incident involving youths occurred in the Italian Gardens, resulting in a teenage girl sustaining non-serious injuries. In July 2020, two men were charged with a public order offence following a disturbance there.
Grove Park has a history of vandalism and drug use, particularly around its public toilets. In October 2020, the Grove Park toilets were closed for two weeks due to incidents requiring police attention. In October 2024, demolition plans for the 1960s toilet block were submitted as a bid to tackle vandalism; the block had been closed since December 2023 because of such issues.
In a separate incident on 22 May 2026, a man allegedly tore down three Pride flags outside an after-school setting in south Bristol while making homophobic comments. Avon and Somerset Police arrested a man in his thirties on suspicion of theft, criminal damage, and drug and weapons offences. A year earlier, on 12-13 June 2024, a Pride flag was removed from outside Grove House in Weston-super-Mare and set on fire. A man in his 20s of no fixed abode was arrested on suspicion of criminal damage, and an LGBT+ forum stated at the time that “hate will not win”.
Avon and Somerset Police have been contacted for comment. The force previously apologised to the LGBT+ community in November 2023 when its Chief Constable issued a statement acknowledging past “over-policing and under-protection” and pledged to improve relations.
