A Sussex council has come under criticism for not putting its flags at half mast on the day of Margaret Thatcher’s death.

Eastbourne Borough Council decided not to lower its flags on Monday, but will put them at half mast on the day of Baroness Thatcher’s funeral next Wednesday.

Ian Lucas, chairman of Eastbourne Constituency Conservative Association, said he was “astonished” at the “petty minded attitude” of the Liberal Democrat-run council not to lower the town hall flag.

He said: “A great many people in Eastbourne, whether they agreed with her politics or not, admired Margaret Thatcher as a brave and principled leader, who stood up for Britain, and who served her country with dedication for 11 and a half years as Britain’s first and only woman Prime Minister.”

A spokesman for the council said: “Eastbourne Borough Council will lower flags to half-mast on the day of Baroness Thatcher’s funeral after Buckingham Palace decreed this should happen on public buildings.

“The national protocol is that flags are only flown at half-mast on all public buildings across the country in the event of the death of a sovereign.

“In the case of all others, including prime ministers and ex-prime ministers, flags are only flown at half-mast on a national basis if the Queen declares an official period of mourning.

This has not happened on this occasion.

“East Sussex County Council and our neighbouring districts are approaching this matter in the same way.”