Should rock festivals ban flags?

Organisers of Britain's Glastonbury Festival, the world's biggest green field arts and music event, have launched a survey to see whether flags should be banned from the main stage at this year's event.

Fans are being asked to take part in an online vote on the festival's website (www.glastonburyfestivals.co.uk ) to decide whether to outlaw banners following complaints that they spoil the view for some of the crowd.

"The topic of whether flags should be banned from in front of the Pyramid Stage at the festival seems to have been cropping up a bit recently," organisers said on the website.

"Our gut feeling here at festival HQ is that they shouldn't be banned, as we think they add to the magic of a big Pyramid stage performance."

According to the latest votes, 60 percent of respondents backed keeping flags and 40 percent thought they should be banned. However, if multiple votes were recorded, then the vote was almost equal, with a tiny majority favouring a ban.

This year will be the 40th anniversary of the festival, which takes place on a farm in southwest England and attracts some 150,000 revellers, with Irish rock band U2 lined up to headline the event.