Westbury White Horse checked for any England flag damage

A white horse carved into a hillside is being checked for damage after it was temporarily turned into a St George’s flag.

Red fabric draped over the Westbury White Horse has now been removed, after being reported to English Heritage earlier.

The body said it would assess whether the 175ft (53m) tall Wiltshire landmark had been damaged by pegs used to secure the fabric.

It is not clear who put the ribbon up or why – but it is not the first time this has happened. In 2018, red plastic was put up on the monument ahead of the England men’s football World Cup semi-final match.

Thousands of St George’s flags have appeared across England in recent months.

While some football fans were flying them to cheer on the Lionesses during the 2025 Euros, many more flags have gone up in recent weeks.

Some groups responsible for putting them up have told BBC News they are motivated by pride and patriotism.

But some people have said it feels provocative at a time when tensions are running high across England over the issue of immigration.

Speaking about the Westbury incident before the removal, an English Heritage spokesperson said: “Red fabric has been attached to the Westbury White Horse.

“We’ll be removing it as soon as we can and seeing whether the pegs that were used have caused any damage to this much-loved historic landmark.”

Westbury’s white horse is said to be the oldest in Wiltshire. It was restored in 1778, but many believe it is much older than that.

Westbury Town Council said it was aware of the incident and Wiltshire Police said no criminal offences were thought to have been committed and the force was not investigating.