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Tattoo parlour targeted after argument over flag

Lewis AdamsEssex
Watch: Men putting up a flag in an Essex street are challenged by a resident

A man who confronted people hanging a St George's flag outside his home said his business had been bombarded with fake bad reviews as a result.

Tattoo artist Adam Willett claimed it also led to "vile" abuse including homophobic slurs and threats against his pregnant partner.

More than one million people have watched a video of the interaction in Braintree, Essex, since he posted it on Facebook on Sunday.

Groups responsible for putting flags up have previously told the BBC they were motivated by pride and patriotism.

But Willett said the movement had been "co-opted by people who have an ulterior motive".

He added: "The people who are doing so and claiming to be patriotic don't even know the right way round to hang the Union flags.

"I think that tells you everything you need to know really."

Adam Willett Adam Willett is wearing a red vest outside a shop, which has large hanging baskets of flowers by the door. He has brown hair, tattoos and a beard.Adam Willett
Adam Willett said he had been called a "traitor" for challenging the men

The footage captured by Willett showed two men using a ladder to hang a St George's flag on a lamppost.

In response to him asking them to stop, which they did not, one of them replied: "I don't get what I want all the time."

Willett said many people had thanked him for intervening, but others had targeted him with abuse - including leaving bad reviews about his tattoo parlour.

"I've had people call me a traitor, saying I should be hung. I've been called all sorts of homophobic slurs," he told BBC Essex.

"Someone claimed that I inappropriately touched their 19-year-old daughter during a tattoo appointment which, obviously, is not true."

Despite this, Willett said he did not regret what he did and had reported some of the abuse to the police.

Should the flags in Essex come down?

St George and Union flags were put up in cities, towns and villages across England during late summer 2025.

While some claimed they were installed out of patriotism, others said they felt provocative at a time when tensions were running high over immigration.

A spokesman for Essex County Council said flags would be removed from highways infrastructure if they posed a safety risk to road users.

"They may also be removed by district, borough or city authorities where they are in breach of planning controls," he said.

"All councils in Essex work alongside each other and are aware of the approach being taken on flags."

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