Union jacks and St George’s flags have been appearing in communities across the country since mid-July and have divided opinion.
Some view them as a patriotic gesture, while others regard them as a challenge to the presence of asylum seekers and of people not born in the UK more generally.
A number of councils have already taken action to remove flags from lamp-posts while others have said they will leave them in place.
A spokesperson for Leeds City Council said: “We are aware a number of flags have been placed on lamp columns and several mini roundabouts and crossings have been painted across parts of Leeds.
“We would urge residents to please refrain from doing this because it could cause confusion for motorists unfamiliar with the local road layout and potentially lead to accidents.”
They added that returning roundabouts and street markings to their original state “diverts limited resources away from other important highways work” and warned of the dangers of working in the road.
The council said: “Anything that causes a highways risk or potential damage to infrastructure will be removed quickly whilst repainting road markings will take place where needed as soon as possible.”