Monday, August 13, 2007

Demise of record flagpole

Woodpeckers and rot are being blamed for the demise of a flagpole which was once the tallest in the world.

The Kew Flagpole in Kew Gardens, south-west London, will be taken down by steeplejacks because it has become unsafe for flag-flying.

The wooden structure has already had to be shortened several times.

It entered the Guinness Book of Records in 1959, when it measured 225ft (69m). Metal flagpoles can now reach greater heights.

"Sadly our historic flagpole, once the tallest in the world, is no longer safe for flag-flying," said David Holroyd, head of estates at Kew.

"Woodpecker action and decay have made it unsafe, so we have no alternative but to dismantle it - and it will be a major operation".

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