Police investigate ‘Happy Brexit Day’ poster telling council tenants to speak English or leave country

‘We do not tolerate people speaking other languages’, says notice displayed in block of flats in Norwich

Police are investigating a Brexit poster which demands people living in council flats speak English or move out.

A photograph of the notice, which was headed “Happy Brexit Day”, was shared widely on Twitter after it was spotted by a resident of the building in Norwich on Friday morning.

A typed A4 sheet of paper was placed on a fire door in Winchester Tower, a block of 95 flats owned by Norwich City Council, on the day the UK left the EU.

It said: “As we finally have our great country back we feel there is one rule to that needs to be made clear to residents.

“We do not tolerate people speaking other languages than English in the flats. We are now our own country again and the the Queens English [sic] is the spoken tongue here.

A photograph of the notice posted on a door at Winchester Tower in Norwich (Anonymous)

“If you do want to speak whatever is the mother tongue of the country you came from then we suggest you return to that place and return your flat to the council so they can let British people live here and we can return to what was normality before you infected this once great island.

“It is a simple choice obey the rule of the majority or leave. You won’t have long till our government will implement rules that will put British first. So, best evolve or leave.”

The poster – which is not signed with a name – ends with the phrase: “God Save the Queen, her government and all true patriots.”

In a statement, Norwich City Council said: “Norwich has a proud history of being a welcoming city, and we will not tolerate this behaviour.

“As soon as we became aware of this incident, we reported it to Norfolk Police and they are investigating,” the council added.

“We take this very seriously and encourage residents to contact us or the police if they have any concerns.”

City councillor Mike Stonard told the Eastern Daily Press the poster was “abhorrent”. He added: “Whoever put it there has committed a hate crime, it is as simple as that.”

Norfolk Police said they were investigating the poster as a “racially aggravated public order incident”.

“Those posters kept by residents have since been seized for forensic enquiries and we will be working with the council to examine any available CCTV,” a spokeswoman said.

“There is no place in society for hatred and intolerance. Nobody should have to face intimidation because of who they are and it is more important than ever that we stand together in the face of hostility. We remain committed to helping people feel safe and secure as they go about their lives.

“The matter is being dealt with as a racially aggravated public order incident and anyone with information which could help officers with enquiries should contact Norfolk Police.”

Simon Price, who first publicly shared the photo, rejected suggestions from some Twitter users that the poster was fake.

“The guy who tweeted it has a locked account, and only sent it in reply to someone he was chatting with,” he said. “A lot of trouble to go to, and he’s really not the type. He wasn’t looking for shares or retweets, but I happened to spot it.”