A FLAGPOLE that was removed from outside a Powys primary school in a money-saving measure by the local authority was reported to police because it failed to inform the school – leaving the headteacher fearing metal thieves had stolen it.

Gladestry Primary School has demanded that Powys County Council (PCC) now put the flagpole back up, because it didn’t belong to them.

Earlier this year, PCC proposed removing flagpoles from some of its buildings as part of its draft budget, identifying possible savings of £20,000.

But in the village of Gladestry the flagpole outside the local primary school doesn’t belong to the council.

Despite this, in the early weeks of the summer holidays, council workers arrived without giving the school or headteacher prior warning, and cut the flagpole outside the school down using an angle grinder and cherry picker – leaving headteacher Rosalind Beck fearing it had been stolen by metal thieves. She reported the matter to police.

READ MORE: Powys County council mulls removing flagpoles to save money

Julie Davies, chair of Gladestry Community Council described what PCC has done as “an act of unforgivable vandalism”.

“If anyone’s wondering what happened to the school’s flagpole, it was removed by Powys County Council as a ‘money saving measure’,” said David Bridson, clerk of Gladestry Community Council, in a post on the Gladestry Noticeboard Facebook page on Friday, September 13.

“Bizarrely, the council neglected to tell anyone at the school that they were doing this, so the head assumed the flagpole was being stolen by metal thieves and called the police when workers showed up to remove it.

“Even more bizarrely, they claimed they’d removed the flagpole because they couldn’t afford to maintain it any longer.

“The problem with that is, the council have never paid a penny towards its maintenance and they didn’t pay to put it there in the first place. So, now, they actually do have to pay to reinstate it.”

Lyn Twiddy, responding to the post, added: “Not only did they not inform any schools about what they intended to do they effectively sent their men to break into locked school premises.

OTHER NEWS:

“Just lifted over with a cherry picker and angle grinder. Most flag poles didn't even belong to PCC, [they’re] donated by other sources.”

Ms Beck, who is also headteacher at nearby Radnor Valley Primary School in New Radnor, came to Gladestry during the summer after hearing the council had done the same thing at Radnor Valley.

When she discovered the Gladestry flagpole was missing as well, she tried to call Powys but couldn’t raise anyone, so reported it to police.

Gladestry Primary School has angrily demanded that Powys County Council (PCC) now put the flagpole back up.Gladestry Primary School has angrily demanded that Powys County Council (PCC) now put the flagpole back up. (Image: Supplied)

Mr Bridson said the issue was raised at a community council meeting in the Radnorshire village, near Kington, on Monday night.

“The community council elected to send a letter of protest to Powys County Council demanding an apology and the immediate reinstatement of the flagpole,” David told us on Tuesday.

Powys County Council said it has previously undertaken inspections of the flagpole at Gladestry Primary School.

“Following the full council’s decision as part of the annual budget setting, the council is removing the flagpoles from some council buildings to reduce the compliance budget by £20,000 per year,” said a spokesperson.

In August, Powys county councillor Elwyn Vaughan, who represents Llanbrynmair in the north of the county, said locals had been left frustrated by the decision to remove flagpoles and banners in the village.

A spokesperson for Powys County Council said: “Unfortunately work to remove the flagpoles started before affected schools were informed of the process and offered the opportunity of retaining the structures at their own cost. We have apologised for the misunderstanding.”