Three hooded and masked men tore down and burned two Union Jack flags outside a pub while shouting ‘Allahu Akbar’, ‘Free Palestine’ and ‘F*** the UK’, a court has heard.

The trio allegedly gathered with a fourth man in a nearby alleyway before setting the flags alight in what prosecutors described as an ‘attack on the British people’.

Zaid Sami, 21, and Nour Sami, 20, both from Feltham, and Omar Sukkar, 21, from Isleworth, are accused of racially-aggravated criminal damage to the flags outside The Fox pub in Twickenham.

All three deny the charge and are standing trial at Kingston-upon-Thames Crown Court.

Prosecutor Mark Mullins told jurors that the incident, on the evening of October 23, 2023, was racially aggravated because the defendants were allegedly motivated by hostility towards British people.

He said: ‘This case is about the ripping down and burning of two Union Flags, which the prosecution asserts is an attack on the British people and their way of life and is therefore racially aggravated.

‘Just after 6.00pm in the evening four young men ripped down two Union Jacks from The Fox public house and set fire to them.

‘While they were burning the flags they were heard shouting: “Allahu Akbar”; “Free Palestine” and “Stop bombing children”.

Omar Sukkar, 21, from Isleworth outside Kingston-upon-Thames Crown Court

Zaid Sami, 21 (right) and Nour Sami, 20, (left) both from Feltham outside Kingston-upon-Thames Crown Court

‘CCTV evidence shows Sukkar climbing onto a noticeboard below one of the Union flags and Zaid Sami removing the other Union flag and they both damaged the poles and fixings.

‘Moments later in a nearby alleyway there was a strong acrid smell as they burned the flags, say witnesses.’

The court heard the incident came just over two weeks after Hamas launched its October 7 attack on Israel, which triggered the war in Gaza.

Mr Mullins told jurors: ‘The background is that on October 7, 2023 Hamas launched missiles from the Gaza Strip into Israel and an incursion that led to several hundred deaths and kidnappings.

‘Then UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak gave a speech on October 19 that Israel had a right to defend itself and on October 23 he made a similar speech to the House of Commons.’

Pub landlord Paul Brace told the court that the flags were a source of pride and part of the character of the street.

He said: ‘I had two Union Jack flags on poles. It is a very British street and we also have flags up during the rugby, the Six Nations via the Church Street Association.

‘I felt it brightened the street up to have the national flags, even when there isn’t an event on.

‘It is a symbol of our country, what we stand for, our values and is a recognisable symbol around the world, very distinctive.

‘It was the flag flown at the Battle of Trafalgar and should be flown with a sense of pride.’

Mr Brace was in his flat above the pub when his deputy manager alerted him to what was happening.

He told the jury: ‘She phoned me in a state of distress and shock.

‘Some men had been ripping at both flags from their holders, breaking the poles and they ran down the street.

‘I followed them down the alleyway and saw four figures huddling over the flags and passing around what looked like a lighter and were struggling to get it going.

‘I smelled a plastic burning smell like nylon and heard specifically ‘Allahu Akbar’. There were multiple voices saying it, they were all joining in.

‘They were oblivious to me being there. I was tempted to intervene, but thought better of it.’

Mr Brace’s 999 call was played to the jury, during which he told the operator: ‘Whether it’s terror-related or not, I don’t know.’

The jurors were also shown the remains of the flags after the fire.

Police arrived shortly afterwards and detained the three defendants, while the fourth suspect managed to escape.

The court heard the men continued making comments about Gaza and Israel after they were detained.

All three are on trial at Kingston-upon-Thames Crown Court, where they have all pleaded not guilty to the racially-aggravated criminal damage of the flags belonging to The Fox pub in Twickenham (above)

Peter Lawlor, who had been drinking outside the nearby Eel Pie public house, said he saw four men shortly before the incident.

He told jurors: ‘Four lads walked past and one was wearing an Arab-style scarf, two had masks and another had a hood up and one of them said: ‘F*** the UK’.’

The prosecution alleges that all three defendants were acting together, with Mr Mullins claiming Nour Sami was encouraging the others and acting as a lookout.

He told the jury: ‘The prosecution say they were all in a group acting together and Nour Sami was encouraging them and looking out even though he was not seen pulling down the flags.

‘They were motivated due to hostility of that racial group, namely being British. Saying: ‘F*** the UK,’ and ‘Allahu Akbar’ showed hostility to being British.

‘Their comments on arrest provides context to their actions,’ the prosecutor told the jurors. ‘You may share these sentiments, but it led to these defendants going further.

‘They turned against the very country they were part of. It was Britain’s support of Israel that prompted their actions.’

The trial continues.