Two Brighton residents have spoken out against what they perceive as discriminatory treatment by their local council regarding the removal of a caravan from a Coldean street. Ryan Bishop and Josh Amble appeared on GB News with presenter Martin Daubney to voice their concerns about the timing of the vehicle's removal.

"It was there for a good six months and a lot of people contacted the council, they didn't want to know. It wasn't removed," Bishop told Martin during the show.

"The second our cross gets put up, it gets removed straight away. It proves our two-tier society. It's disgusting", he said.

The pair argued that the council's swift action after a St George's flag was added to the caravan, following months of inaction while it displayed a Palestine flag, demonstrated unfair treatment.

The van was towed away just days after a St George's flag was painted across it

Brighton and Hove City Council has come under fire for allegedly showing bias in its enforcement actions after a caravan that had displayed a Palestine flag for half a year was suddenly removed within days of a St George's flag being attached to it.

The vehicle had reportedly been parked on a Coldean road for approximately six months without council intervention, despite numerous complaints from residents during that period. However, the local authority took swift action to remove the caravan shortly after England's national flag was added to it.

"I think it's an absolute outrage. We're shut down and silenced and get called far-right and racist when something like this happens. It gets worse and worse," Mr Bishop stated during his GB News appearance.

The local authority has defended its actions, stating that the caravan was removed under Section 143 of The Highways Act as part of standard enforcement procedures against non-motorised vehicles stored on public roads.

The van had been left for months, but once a St George's cross was painted across it, it was removed just days later

"The caravan was put under formal notice on 7 July 2025. As is our standard policy in these circumstances, we had been liaising with the owner as a first stage, who had assured us it would be moved," the council said in an official statement.

When the owner failed to relocate the vehicle by the deadline, contractors were hired to remove it. The council emphasised that this caravan was one of three removed from various locations across the city during the same enforcement operation.

The controversy in Brighton reflects broader tensions surrounding flag displays across England. Birmingham City Council recently removed St George's flags from lighting fixtures in Weoley Castle and Northfield, citing public safety concerns.

Brighton has experienced similar incidents recently, with England flags appearing twice in a fortnight outside Churchill Square shopping centre and on West Street lampposts in late August. Council leader Bella Sankey stated that removing items from street furniture represents "normal council procedure" based on health and safety requirements.

Two local residents vented their outrage on GB News

Josh Amble has channeled the flag controversy into a community initiative aimed at supporting military veterans experiencing homelessness.

During the GB News interview, he described organising an event where he distributed 50 flags along Brighton's seafront.

"This is about so much more than raising flags, it's about bringing the community together," Amble explained. He established a Facebook page and launched a GoFundMe campaign that has attracted more than £2,000 in donations for homeless veterans.

Amble expressed frustration about what he sees as political bias, stating: "Why can't we show pride in our country but we can for Palestine and pro-Hamas views? It's disgusting. All I want to see is British flags in our country and our views. Not left-wing views all the time."

He credited media coverage, particularly from GB News, as essential to the campaign's success.