MR R Holdsworth (Letters, February 8) asks why there's no Union Jack flying on Blackburn's new police station.

I'll tell you why, it's because the mandarins of Lancashire Police are the same 'politically-correct' army who took it upon themselves recently to make an issue of a small Union Jack on the dashboard of a Lancashire police van.

Their politically-correct nonsense is playing right into the hands of the BNP which is gaining a foothold in this part of the world.

What about the men and women who fought and are about to fight to uphold the so-called 'freedom' this flag represents? Other countries proudly display their flags not only on public buildings, but outside every business.

In the United States, ordinary citizens are proud to have flagpoles and their national flag in their gardens. They are not considered the lunatic fringe.

The lunatic fringe here are the bureaucrats who hold the misguided belief that patriotism stands for racism. Other countries have policemen and women who not only uphold the law, but wear their flags as part of their uniforms -- and with pride.

The British public is heartily sick of this namby-pamby fence-sitting.

Yes, we're proud to be British and, no, patriotism is not another word for racism. I appeal to all fair-minded individuals, successful British businesses and anyone who agrees to fly the flag with pride.

Name and address received.