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A Labour-led council has ordered a beach hut with a Palestinian flag design to be repainted. Brighton and Hove City Council said the hut on the popular Hove beach fails to comply with its painting policy.

Alison Lesley, who has owned the hut for six years, says she was told by the local authority that the paint job had breached her beach hut licence because there must only be vertical stripes or a solid colour. She said the council's order was "pathetic" but she will repaint the hut. Ms Lesley said the council told her there had been complaints and that she was initially given three days to remove the design, before this was extended to a week.

Ms Lesley, a retired psychotherapist, also said she was informed the council would repaint the beach hut itself if she did not remove the flag, according to reports.

Speaking to The Argus, she said the flag on the beach hut had received support.

"I told the council for every one person who has made a complaint I can find ten that would approve," Ms Lesley said.

The 77-year-old described the council's decision as "very one sided" and "unfair", arguing another beach hut has a French flag painted on it.

In an email addressed to Ms Lesley, a council worker said there are "very strict policy on the presentation of the beach huts".

According to The Argus, they said it was "not for the council to determine public displays of people's personal views, but rather when it is likely to interfere with community cohesion to take steps to address this, which is why we have a very strict policy on the presentation of the beach huts".

Ms Lesley, who in the last decade spent time in Palestine as a volunteer in a university and hospital, said she decided to paint the flag to show support for Palestinians amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict.

"I met so many people there who are suffering in different ways," Ms Lesley told the local newspaper.

"I feel duty bound to do something."

She now works with refugees and asylum seekers in the UK as a volunteer.

"I don't think people understand the plight of these people and why they have to leave and come here," she said.

Councillor Bella Sankey, Leader of Brighton & Hove City Council, told the Daily Express: "I have every sympathy with this peaceful protest against the horrors we are witnessing in Gaza right now.

"It is abhorrent that the Palestinian people are being collectively punished for the terrorism of Hamas and being starved to death by the Israeli Government. The international community must recognise the State of Palestine and get aid in immediately and the remaining hostages released without delay.

"We have asked the owner of the beach hut to repaint over the red square as the licence agreement requires doors are painted in either one block colour or colours along vertical lines."