Proud Father Robert Smithson

wanted to give his twin sons a patriotic welcome when they returned home for the first time since joining the Coldstream Guards, so he decided to fly the English national flag from the family home, but then, wait for it! an official at Sunderland City Council wrote to 42-year-old Mr Smithson threatening him with a fine of up to £2,500 for illegally flying the flag from his suburban house, but, I am guessing after a few, lets face reality pills, Phil Barrett, director of development and regeneration, said: ‘We have decided the flag can stay, we will be writing another letter to Mr Smithson and apologising for any upset, how pathetic that the department of development and regeneration, what ever the hell that is, should have written the first letter.