PATRIOTIC Corsham people are furious that bunting and flags were put up for French visitors but not for the Queen's golden jubilee.

Residents are angry that no decorations went up and the Union flag did not fly from the town hall.

Feelings ran so high, people stayed away in protest from last weekend's annual French day.

One High Street trader, who did not want to be named, said: "People are angry because they can do it for the French but not for the Queen.

"Tourists who were here over the jubilee were even commenting how dreadful it was.

"There was one American visitor who could not believe that we didn't even have a Union flag anywhere.

"There was nothing in the High Street. We put our own up because it looked so dreadful and others then did the same.

"French day was definitely quieter than usual and it appeared people stayed away as a protest.

"Everybody is moaning about it. Corsham was totally lacking.

"We heard it was because the town council doesn't own the bunting, but surely they could have borrowed it and put it up for the jubilee and then left it up for the French day."

Gary Foster, of South Street, complained to the town council.

He said: "There were no parties, bunting or flags in Corsham.

"Other towns managed to do something, but there was nothing in Corsham." Councillors revealed they have been inundated with complaints about the town's lack of patriotic spirit.

Town councillor Anne Aust said: "I have been stopped by a number of people in the High Street complaining about the lack of jubilee celebrations.

"There have been a lot of complaints that there wasn't any bunting up for the jubilee, but it was up for the twinning visit and French day.

"A lot of us have had this flak, it has been quite ferocious and it is embarrassing."

Cllr John Bright said: "We didn't do anything about bunting and flags in the street and that was a mistake.

"We would have had to borrow it but we should have done it."

Council chairman Jock Fraser said: "The bunting does not belong to us but to the twinning association. With hindsight we should have asked if we could borrow it and have put it up.

"But it is not as if we are not doing anything for the jubilee. We decided to do something permanent and are spending £2,000 on a stained glass window."

He said the council had accepted it should have put up bunting, but was not responsible for organising street parties.

He said: "If people felt so strongly about street parties, it was up to them to organise them. That is not the council's job and is not the right way to spend taxpayers' money."