Further safety concerns over asbestos at site of Belfast bonfire
Meanwhile, there has been further condemnation of the burning of a separate bonfire on Thursday in Co Tyrone which included an effigy of migrants in a boat.
Effigies of migrants in a boat burn atop a bonfire at Moygashel, Co Tyrone, ahead of events to mark the Twelfth of July (Niall Carson/PA)
Controversy has surrounded the Belfast bonfire at Meridi Street off the Donegall Road which is also close to an electricity substation which powers two hospitals.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said on Thursday that the force would not agree to a request from Belfast City Council to remove the pyre.
Later, the NIEA said an inspection had taken place at the site.
A statement said: 'The Northern Ireland Environment Agency can confirm that fragments of suspected asbestos were found at five locations around the site.
'Approximately 20 kilogrammes of suspect material was identified and was immediately removed.'
It added: 'The risk assessment that NIEA has provided to partners has consistently indicated that there was a strong possibility that fragments of asbestos could be elsewhere on the site.
'NIEA understand the landowner is due to arrange the removal of all of the asbestos from the site next week, commencing on 16 July 2025, but it is important to note that removing the asbestos will be a highly specialised, complex and delicate operation that will require the site to be fully vacated.
'Indeed, the work is of such complexity that the full removal will take a number of weeks.'
SDLP councillor Seamas de Faoite told the BBC that 'without proper decontamination of the site people are going to be put at risk' when the fire is lit.
He added: 'There is another option here which is that sensible and safety conscious leadership takes over and says we shouldn't have this bonfire and we are going to tell people to stay away from this site and go to other sites.'
However, DUP councillor Sarah Bunting said the local community and political representatives supported a safe bonfire.
She added: 'We need answers from NIEA. What type of asbestos is it? Where is it?
'If they removed some yesterday, would they be able to go in and assess this morning and remove any more that is there?'
Hundreds of bonfires will be lit on Friday night ahead of the Orange Order's July 12 parades on Saturday.
The traditional fires are lit ahead of the main date in the parading calendar of Protestant loyal orders, the Twelfth of July.
While most of the bonfires pass off without incident, several have become the focus of contention due to the placing of flags, effigies and election posters on the structures before they are ignited.
The bonfire in Co Tyrone has been widely criticised (Niall Carson/PA)
A small number of bonfires were lit on Thursday night, including a controversial pyre in Moygashel, Co Tyrone, which had been widely criticised by political representatives and church leaders after it was topped with an effigy of migrants in a boat.
In a statement released ahead of the fire being lit, the PSNI said they were investigating a hate incident in relation to the fire.
The boat on top of the bonfire contained more than a dozen life-sized mannequins wearing life jackets.
Below the boat were several placards, one saying 'Stop the boats' and another saying 'Veterans before refugees'.
Sinn Fein MLA Colm Gildernew said the bonfire 'was clearly intended to dehumanise people who come to our island seeking a better life'.
He added: 'The effigies and displays were abhorrent, driven by vile, far-right and racist attitudes.
'I welcome that police are treating this as a hate incident. It's vital those responsible are held accountable for their disgusting actions.
'Diversity, inclusion and equality must always triumph over xenophobia and hate.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Glasgow Times
35 minutes ago
- Glasgow Times
Trump promoting Scotland a good thing regardless of politics, says Sarwar
Anas Sarwar has been consistently outspoken about Donald Trump, accusing him of racism in 2020. But on Tuesday Mr Sarwar was in a grandstand at Trump International Golf Links in Aberdeenshire as an invited guest of the US president, who opened a second course at the club. Donald Trump opened the second course at his Aberdeenshire club on Tuesday (Jane Barlow/PA) Speaking to the PA news agency after the event, the Scottish Labour leader said it was not about politics. 'I disagree with the politics of Donald Trump, I will continue to disagree with much of the politics of Donald Trump, I'll continue to press on issues that I care about both here at home and right across the globe,' he said. 'But what we're doing here today is not endorsing a politician – I have strong political disagreements with the politics of Donald Trump, just as the prime minister has different politics to the president. 'What we're doing here today is recognising the significant investment in Scotland. 'This is a great facility here in Scotland which we want to attract people from right across the globe to come and visit, as well as other parts of the country. 'And we want to demonstrate to people that Scotland's a great place to do business. 'If the most powerful man in the world and possibly the most famous man in the world is helping project Scotland as a good place to do business, then that can only be a good thing, regardless of what people think of the politics.' Pushed on whether an accusation of racism can be described as a 'disagreement', Mr Sarwar did not answer. He said: 'When you have big political disagreements, particularly when you have two countries who share so much in common in terms of heritage, culture, then you still have to have strong person-to-person relationships, strong community-to-community relationships, you've still got to have business-to-business relationships and you've still got to maintain strong ties, even if you disagree on politics, because that's in the national interest.'
Glasgow Times
35 minutes ago
- Glasgow Times
Lorry deaths people smuggler gets extra jail time for not paying compensation
Ronan Hughes was jailed for 20 years in 2021 for the manslaughter of the Vietnamese nationals, aged between 15 and 44, found in a vehicle in Essex on October 22 2019. The victims died in sweltering conditions as they were transported in an airtight container from Zeebrugge in Belgium to Purfleet. Hughes, 45, of Armagh, Northern Ireland, was taken back to court in 2024 and ordered to pay more than £182,000 in compensation to the families of victims. He has paid £58,380 towards the confiscation order, but as of Tuesday – and including the interest accrued – he still owed more than £127,000. The CPS Proceeds of Crime Division invited a court to impose an additional sentence on Hughes in light of his failure to pay the confiscation order. The container lorry in which 39 people were found dead (Aaron Chown/PA) He appeared before Folkstone Magistrates' Court for an enforcement hearing on Tuesday and the judge ordered that he serve an additional year and four months in prison, the CPS said. Heather Chalk, specialist prosecutor for the CPS, said: 'Ronan Hughes led an unscrupulous network of organised criminals that sought to profit from smuggling desperate people. 'It is devastating that 39 vulnerable people lost their lives because of their greed and recklessness. 'The CPS is committed to working with law enforcement to dismantle these smuggling networks and prevent them from profiting from their criminality. 'Hughes failed to pay back his confiscation order in full and, as a result, he will be serving additional time in jail.' In addition to Hughes, four other men were jailed for between 13 and 27 years for the manslaughter of the men, women and children. They are: Romanian mechanic Gheorghe Nica, 48; Romanian Marius Mihai Draghici, 52, who was described as Nica's 'second-in-command'; lorry driver Maurice Robinson, 30, of Craigavon, who found the bodies; and Eamonn Harrison, 28, of Co Down, who had collected the victims on the continent. To date, more than £283,000 in ill-gotten gains has been ordered to be paid by defendants as compensation to the victims' families.
Glasgow Times
35 minutes ago
- Glasgow Times
Starmer convenes Cabinet for urgent meeting on Gaza
It comes as the Prime Minister faces renewed pressure to recognise Palestine as a state immediately and after he held an emergency call with France and Germany at the weekend. The Prime Minister is focusing on securing aid for those on the ground and a 'sustainable route' to a two-state solution, Downing Street has said, and emphasised that the UK recognising Palestine was a matter of 'when, not if'. Sir Keir has started working with France and Germany on a process to 'bring about a lasting peace' in the Middle East and shared the plans with US President Donald Trump when they met in Scotland on Monday. He is expected to share details with Arab states and other key allies in the coming days. The Cabinet meeting, which some ministers are attending in person and others virtually, comes after Parliament broke for its summer recess last week. Pro-Palestine protesters gathered outside Downing Street as the meeting took place. Four people wearing white headdresses posed solemnly above what appeared to be a model shrouded corpse and crowd of people gathered banging pans with spoons, many of them wearing keffiyehs and carrying Palestinian flags. A metres-long banner was held in front of the black gates in Whitehall reading 'genocide in Gaza' and 'death from famine and disease'. Speaking on Tuesday morning, Technology Secretary Peter Kyle said he would not 'pre-empt' the meeting, but added it was 'right' to 'assess what Britain can do' to ease the situation in Gaza. Pro-Palestine protesters take part in a demonstration outside the gates of Downing Street ahead of the Cabinet meeting (James Manning/PA) He also said the Palestinian people should be 'rewarded for what they've been through' and given the tools 'to move them towards the kind of peace, stability and dignity that every citizen in every country is owed'. Amid international alarm over starvation in Gaza, Israel announced at the weekend that it would suspend fighting in three areas for 10 hours a day and open secure routes for aid delivery. The UK confirmed it was taking part in airdrops of aid into the territory. Aid agencies have welcomed the new measures but said they were not enough to counter the rising hunger in the Palestinian territory. Sir Keir said that the British public is 'revolted' at the scenes of desperation in Gaza as he appeared alongside Mr Trump at his Turnberry golf course on Monday. The US president hinted at sticking points in US-led negotiations over a peace deal, saying Palestinian militant group Hamas had become 'very difficult to deal with' in recent weeks. He suggested this was because they held only a small remaining number of Israeli hostages. Sir Keir's official spokesman said on Monday: 'This week, the Prime Minister is focused on a pathway to peace to ensure immediate relief for those on the ground, and a sustainable route to a two-state solution. 'We are clear that the recognition of the Palestinian state is a matter of when, not if, but it must be one of the steps on the path to a two-state solution as part of a wider plan that delivers lasting security for both Palestinians and Israelis.' Sir Keir has likened the plan he is working on with France and Germany to the coalition of the willing, the international effort to support Ukraine towards a lasting peace. Humanitarian aid is airdropped to Palestinians over central Gaza as seen from Khan Younis (Abdel Kareem Hana/AP) His spokesman said the plan would build 'on the collaboration to date that paves the way to a long-term solution on security in the region'. Sir Keir is meanwhile facing calls from a growing number of MPs to recognise a Palestinian state immediately. More than 250 cross-party MPs have now signed a letter calling for ministers to take the step, up from 221 on Friday. Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds on Monday dismissed the idea that there is a split at the top of Government over when to recognise a Palestinian state, saying 'we all want it to happen'. Health Secretary Wes Streeting is among those to have signalled a desire for hastened action, calling for recognition 'while there's still a state of Palestine left to recognise', while Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood said the Government wants to recognise a Palestinian state 'in contribution to a peace process'.
