Two men have been mocked after planting an English flag and a Union Jack on the summit of a popular mountain – in Wales.
The pair, wearing masks, were filmed sitting on the stone cairn at the top of Pen y Fan in Bannau Brycheiniog National Park in the dead of night.
The footage was posted by Bristol Rises, which boasted that the pair had “conquered” the 886m peak.
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An English flag and a Union Jack could be seen fluttering in the breeze on either side of the mountain’s famous National Trust summit sign, as reported by Need To Know.
The group wrote on Facebook: “TWO PROUD BRITS.
“ONE SUMMIT.
“886 metres above the noise.
“Pen y Fan conquered in the dead of night.
“Quiet conversations away from the crowd.
“Proud of where we come from.
“Respectful of where we stand.”
But the display prompted a backlash from some viewers, who questioned why an English flag had been planted on a Welsh mountain.
One commented: “You do know that it’s in Wales not England?”
Another said: “Planting an English flag on a Welsh summit is not being ‘respectful of where you stand’ is it?”
A third added: “As an Englishman I’d be careful raising an English flag in Wales.”
However, others welcomed the pair’s visit, with one writing: “Well done lads and welcome to Wales. Mountains are for everyone to enjoy.”
Another said: “So glad that you rise above it. Proud of you. Well done to both of you. Looks very peaceful up there.”
Ben Pinker, of Bristol Rises, defended the stunt and said the group was proud of its national identity.
He said: “We’re proud to be British, proud to be English, and we’ll never apologise for flying our national flags.
“We climbed Pen y Fan during the night, proudly carrying the Union Jack and St George’s flag. It was simply about enjoying the hike and celebrating our national identity.
“Nobody should be labelled, smeared or tarnished for carrying their own British or English flag.
“We have nothing but respect for Wales and its people, but being proud to be English is nothing to be ashamed of.
“Pride in your own country is not hatred towards another. Our flags represent our heritage, our identity and our history, and we will never apologise for that.”
At 886m, Pen y Fan is the highest mountain in southern Britain. Its neighbouring peaks include Corn Du at 873m and Cribyn at 795m.
More than 250,000 people make the trek to the summits of the three peaks each year.
