Sports fans have criticised Team GB’s Union flag after it turned pink and purple.
People have hit out at the “diverse design” of the flag after designers for the team branded the red, white and blue colours of the flag as “not unique”.
It comes in the wake of the row over the St George’s Cross on England’s football shirt.
The different flag is on “Supporters Flags” selling for £12 on the Team GB shop in the countdown to this year’s Paris Olympics.
Malcolm Farrow, president of the Flag Institute, a UK flag promotion charity established in 1971, told The Sun “I don’t approve of our national symbol of unity being defaced.
“People have every right to be upset with Team GB. They need to remember brave men fought for this flag and died while protecting it. Changing it is bordering on an insult to them.
“To do something like this in places like India, Greece or Turkey would have serious consequences.”
He added “Designs to commemorate special events like previous Olympics have put an approved badge in the centre and kept the flag the same. This is just a marketing gimmick.”
It was last June that the redesign of the flag got underway.
The creators, on their website, said: “As with many sport brands, colour was a point of contention.
“Obviously red, white and blue is synonymous with Great Britain, but it’s far from unique, with nations such as France and USA also sporting the same colours.
“We needed to find a way of refreshing Team GB’s colour palette in a way that is both flexible and ownable.”