AN independent councillor has called for an additional flag day to mark celebrate England’s patron saint.

Peter Bruff ward councillor Andrew Pemberton said Tendring Council already flies flags outside Clacton Town Hall to mark Armed Forces Day, Merchant Navy Day and Commonwealth Day.

He has put forward a motion calling for the St George’s Cross to be flown outside the town hall on St George’s Day, every April 23.

Mr Pemberton said: “I think we should be celebrating St George’s Day and Englishness.

“I’m proud to be British and English and we should mark St George’s Day as people do with St Patrick’s Day and St David’s Day.

“I get my flags out, but when you walk around you don’t see many people with St George flags.

“On St Patrick’s Day you see many more people with hats and Irish flags.”

Past district council leader David Lines had called for a break with tradition to fly the St George Cross all-year-round instead of the Union Flag.

He called for the change after flying it in 2009.

Mr Lines said he wanted to open a debate into whether the change could be made permanently, with the Union Flag only being flown on special occasions.

But the move would have been in breach of guidance from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

Government guidance says the St George’s Cross should only be flown on Government buildings with two or more flag poles, but buildings with only a single pole should fly the Union Flag.

Mr Pemberton's motion was referred to the council's cabinet by chairman Mark Platt and will return to the full council for debate at a later date.