A Labour councillor has demanded police "lie in wait and nab the b*******" who fly Union flags in her area. Susanna Pressel was caught on camera calling for officers to catch residents putting up patriotic flags on lampposts in Oxford.

The shocking video, filmed at an internal county council meeting, was shared on social media. In the staggering footage, the Labour politician is heard ranting: "Can they not trace people who are using social media or if flags are repeatedly reinstalled after we remove them, can they not lie in wait and nab the b******* who are reinstalling them so quickly? Because that's the sort of thing I would like to see from the police."

But the defiant left-wing councillor insisted her neighbours are "incensed" by the patriotic display.

Speaking to the Oxford Mail, she said: "They all say they would like these flags taken down at once. I have passed that on to the county council."

But Tory councillor Liam Walker, who was on the call, delivered a scathing verdict on Ms Pressel's comments.

He said: "I was on the call at the time and I was genuinely shocked by what was said along with the time and money the council is spending on the removal of flags. This sort of language is not acceptable in any setting — whether in a discussion with councillors, in conversations involving council staff, or in public. We are elected to represent our communities with professionalism and respect. Rather than offering an apology, Cllr Pressel has said she simply wouldn't say this to someone's face, and that response falls far short of what is expected. She should apologise for using this poor language."

Ms Pressel later attempted to defend her inflammatory comments, claiming she would "never call anyone a b****** to their face".

She added: "However, this was an internal county council meeting, in which council officers were briefing councillors on the measures being taken for safety reasons to remove unauthorised flags on council infrastructure. We were told that more than £15,000 of public money has already been spent taking flags down. Quite often they are quickly replaced."

The Labour politician defended the removal of the national flag bizarrely claiming they pose a danger to the public as they distract drivers, and then claimed some of neighbours found the flags racist.

She added: "I also hear complaints from a very large number of people who find the flags intimidating and, in fact, racist."

Neither Ms Pressel nor Oxfordshire County Council replied when asked for comment.