SANDWELL residentse are being urged to support a Commonwealth flag-raising ceremony outside Council House in Oldbury on Monday.

It will be part of a nationwide flag-raising effort to celebrate the Commonwealth of countries and will be attended by Sandwell Mayor and Consort councillors Linda and Roger Horton.

Deputy Lord Lieutenant of the West Midlands Stewart Towe will also be at the event, part of a string of similar ceremonies across the country, led by the Queen at Westminister Abbey.

The mayor said: “I am very pleased that Sandwell is part of this national recognition of the importance of the Commonwealth and I am proud to be part of the official party.

“There is an open invitation to the people of Sandwell to attend the ceremony at the front of the Council House entrance and I hope residents with ties to Commonwealth countries will come along.”

More than 500 flags will be raised by councils, organisations and churches throughout the country to mark the variety and diversity of the Commonwealth’s global family.

The day will mark the biggest single raising of the flag in the history of the Commonwealth and the Oldbury event will start at 9.45am with the flag hoisted at 10am.