EVER since the Battle of Hastings we English have had a love-hate relationship with those on the other side of the Channel.

The Normans who did for King Harold in 1066 may have considered themselves a race apart, but they're definitely part of modern-day France.

Then there was the 100 Years War and then the Napoleonic War, not to mention various skirmishes in India and Canada.

The entente got a bit more cordiale when we Brits helped them out against the Kaiser and then the Third Reich.

Since then, things have improved a lot with supersonic co-operation in the sixties when Concorde was developed.

In 1974 Edward Heath took us into the European Community. There was even more cross-Channel bridge-building when the two nations got together and - sacre bleu - dug the Chunnel.

Then Peter Mayle wrote A Year in Provence. From then on in, it seemed like half the population of the UK wanted to set up a pied-a-terre in La Belle France.

Even so, there's always been that little edge; that feeling when you visit France that you are not totally welcome.

Despite that, this year's Trafalgar 200 celebrations marking the great sea battle in which Nelson lost his life has, in the main, been accepted with great magnanimity by the French.

Now a green activist from New Milton has turned full circle and is standing up for the French on his home territory.

Greenpeace member Nick Thomas-Webster saw red when the French Tricolor went up in flames as part of a bonfire night celebration.

He complained to the French Embassy in London after Saturday night's Halloween and Fireworks Spectacular in New Milton.

To keep it topical, organisers the Round Table decided to introduce a touch of Trafalgar and set fire to a huge wooden French man o' war instead of the usual mock-up of the Houses of Parliament.

Mr Thomas-Webster's gripe was that the French flag was engulfed in the blaze.

He said: "Burning a national flag is listed, in the new legislation, as an incident likely to cause racial hatred.

"If I went to Bradford and burned a Pakistani flag I could be arrested by the police.

"I have spoken to the French Embassy and they are not very happy about it, and to the mayor of Canteleu in north-western France which is twinned with New Milton, and he's not very happy.

New Milton Town Council clerk Graham Flexman was bemused by Mr Thomas-Webster's complaint.

"I don't know whether to take it seriously or not," he said.

"We're going to look into it further."

Mayor of Canteleu, Christophe Bouillon, was unavailable.

But French Embassy press consulate Vincent Floreani said: "I'm not too happy, to say the least, to see the burning of the French flag.

"It's really difficult to judge the atmosphere, but I don't think it contributes very much to better relations between the British and the French."

He stressed it was important to be vigilant about any act that could cause prejudice between nations.

A Rotary Club spokesman was apologetic and said the Tricolor had been on the mizzen mast.

"The intention was to remove the flag shortly after the two special effects cannons had been fired by way of showing a surrender as we are fully aware of the insult burning any national flag may have," he said.

"However the fire, while under control at all times, caught quicker than we had expected and the decision was made not to allow any persons to approach the stern of the ship to remove the flag for obvious safety reasons."

No one complained on the night.

"On behalf of the Round Table we would like to apologise unreservedly if any unintentional offence has been caused."