DRIVERS in Bucks who are flying the flag for England during this year’s World Cup may be facing an own goal according to legal experts.

As the nation prepares England’s second stage clash with Germany on Sunday, more and more motorists are fixing St George’s Cross and three lions flags to their vehicles.

But a legal expert is warning drivers to take extra care as to how they show their support.

Daniel Berke, head of motoring at law firm Lewis Hymanson Small in Manchester, said: “Now that England has made it into the final 16 of the World Cup, there are more and more people displaying flags out of their car window. Drivers should know there are numerous ways flags on cars can lead to criminal convictions and without wanting to sound like a party pooper, they must take extra care if they decide to show their support on the roads.

“Drivers can face prosecution under the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Act 1986 which demands ‘vehicles, parts or accessories shall be such that they are not likely to cause danger to other road users’. A flag coming loose and hitting a motorcyclist in the face is enough to cause an accident and the car driver may be liable for criminal prosecution.

“There have also been reports of flags startling horses which could potentially injure both the animal and pedestrians. Although it is legal to fly flags in any position, as long as they do not obstruct the driver’s vision, displaying a flag from the driver’s window only may reduce the risk of an accident.”