A CHEEKY festive gesture has been made across the political divide in Angus as the year end approaches with the county flag row still a talking point.

Montrose SNP councillor Sandy West has sent a special present to the 15 members of the ruling Angus Alliance, and with it an 11th-hour call to make a U-turn on their decision to fly the Angus crest from civic buildings.

Months after the power-wielding multi-party coalition voted through a plan to hoist the new flags, the area is awaiting extra flagpoles to be built so the crest and the saltire can fly alongside each other, after a compromise by the new administration.

Before that happens, Mr West has ensured the Alliance members can brush up on their knowledge of the saltire by giving each of them a book, the Story of Scotland’s Flag, a tongue-in-cheek present which has also come with a serious message from the nationalist councillor.

He said, “In the season of goodwill I have no problem with wishing the Alliance a Merry Christmas.

“I sincerely hope that the book will enlighten them a wee bit about Scotland’s flag, and that they might take the opportunity to admit they made a mistake and drop the whole stupid idea of putting this flag up,” he added.

“If, as we are led to believe, these flags have already arrived in Angus, they should let them moulder away and just forget about them.

“It’s not too late for them to accept they made a mistake, and I am asking them to do this in respect of the scale of the reaction to this flag idea, which I must admit even took me by surprise.

“Speaking to people I get the impression that they think it is just a waste of money.

“They got it wrong and haven’t got the gumption to realise that they have caught the tiger by the tail.”