Speaking last week, Ross McKenzie, an independent councillor who represents the area where the Saltire flags have appeared, said he was in “no doubt” they had been flown “in order to express anti-migrant sentiment”. The council took down the first set of Saltire and Lion Rampant flags from lampposts on Calder Road on September 12. However, sending council workers to remove the flags could be seen as posing a safety risk. A contractor was reportedly verbally abused, and his cherry picker damaged, while attempting to remove Saltire flags from lampposts in Stenhousemuir earlier this month. The BBC reported that the man had removed six or seven flags from lampposts in a residential area when he was confronted by a group of people.