A Labour-run council has axed a Remembrance Day poppy display amid its crackdown on flag-flying.

Locals in Hoyland, South Yorkshire, will no longer be able to commemorate their 'fallen heroes' by placing a large wooden poppy on each lamppost.

It follows updated guidance from Barnsley Council which bans attachments to posts with road signage.

The Hoyland Remembrance and Parade Group (HRPG) said the installation of a tribute for each of the town's 396 fallen soldiers from the First and Second World Wars along the one mile Armistice Day route had now been made 'impractical'.

The decision follows the issuing of updated guidance in the Highways Act 1980 by Barnsley Council after a flag-flying spree in the town and across the country.

HRPG chairman Robert Hill said the town centre had now been left 'looking bare'.

He told The Telegraph: 'I am genuinely disheartened that we will not be putting up the wooden poppies on lampposts and road signage posts lining the Parade Route.

'We place over 350 wooden poppies to line the parade route, each carrying a name of a soldier commemorated on the Hoyland War Memorial.

'There wouldn't be enough lampposts left to put them all on. We cannot put one up with a name and not another, as we believe this would be disrespectful.'

The group said its decision had followed the installation of flags on lampposts earlier this year in Hoyland.

Social media discussion was said to have prompted members to seek clarity from the local authority about whether the tribute could carry on.

But the group were informed by the council that if they wanted to continue their tradition a detailed application would be required - at least 10 days before installation.

They were also told to avoid using lampposts that carry road signage and make sure every poppy was fixed just above head height to avoid volunteers using freestanding ladders or platforms.

The display has now been called off entirely as members of the group said the new rules made the commemoration 'impractical' due to most lampposts in Hoyland centre carrying signs - rendering them out of use. 

A council spokesman said: 'The Council's first duty is to the health, safety, and welfare of all highway users.

'The recent increase in unlicensed attachments to street lighting columns has prompted a review of our current processes and controls regarding any and all attachments to the Council's network of lighting infrastructure.'

Council guidance was updated on October 10 to ensure equal treatment of all lamppost installations following earlier discussion around the erection of flags. 

The legislation on safe use of street lighting columns has not changed since it was introduced in the Highways Act 1980 however, according the authority.

The council justified the restrictions as being designed to keep all 'highway users safe' including those wishing to attach items to the council infrastructure.

A spokesman added: 'We fully support the respectful display of poppies on lighting columns as a mark of remembrance across the borough.'

Cllr Sir Steve Houghton CBE, Leader of Barnsley Council, said: 'We appreciate Hoyland Remembrance and Parade Group's continued commitment to honouring our fallen heroes and recognise the significance of this annual event to the local community.

'We remain committed to working with community groups to ensure such tributes can be delivered safely and appropriately.'

All community groups wishing to install items on lampposts or road furniture must now apply in advance and demonstrate they meet safety and liability requirements, under the new guidance.

The HRPG said they 'hope' to work with the council over the next 12 months to find a solution for future years.

The Royal British Legion declined to comment, when approached by the Telegraph.