PATRIOTIC tennis fans have been banned from waving national flags at Wimbledon - because of fears over health and safety. Wimbledon authorities confiscated scores 
of England flags from fans watching Tim Henman’s opening match at the tennis championship. They said they were removing all flags larger than 2ft by 2ft for “health and safety” reasons - claiming the flags’ poles could be dangerous. Matt Pateman, 23, from Bedfordshire, was using his 3ft by 2ft St George’s Cross flag as a mat to sit on, but was told to put it in his bag or risk confiscation. He said: “I couldn’t believe it. I wasn’t even waving it around - I was only sitting on it.” Paul Lewis, 28, a business manager from Chiswick, West London, said: “There is no way that I was a danger to anybody. I wasn’t even waving my flag: I was just holding it in my hands. I think it is ridiculous that they can that having a flag is dangerous.” A spokesman for the All England Lawn Tennis Club said: “The poles could cause injury to those sitting around.” Daily Mail 27/6/06.
of England flags from fans watching Tim Henman’s opening match at the tennis championship. They said they were removing all flags larger than 2ft by 2ft for “health and safety” reasons - claiming the flags’ poles could be dangerous. Matt Pateman, 23, from Bedfordshire, was using his 3ft by 2ft St George’s Cross flag as a mat to sit on, but was told to put it in his bag or risk confiscation. He said: “I couldn’t believe it. I wasn’t even waving it around - I was only sitting on it.” Paul Lewis, 28, a business manager from Chiswick, West London, said: “There is no way that I was a danger to anybody. I wasn’t even waving my flag: I was just holding it in my hands. I think it is ridiculous that they can that having a flag is dangerous.” A spokesman for the All England Lawn Tennis Club said: “The poles could cause injury to those sitting around.” Daily Mail 27/6/06.
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