Muir ‘very disappointed' bonfire was lit despite warnings over asbestos
Hundreds of bonfires were set alight on Friday ahead of the Orange Order's July 12 parades on Saturday.
Controversy had surrounded the Meridi Street pyre, after warnings that there was asbestos on the site and that it was close to an electricity substation which powers the city's two main hospitals.
In a statement on Saturday, Mr Muir said: 'I am very disappointed with the decision to light the bonfire.
'Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) staff monitored events last night along with statutory partners throughout the night.
'We will be engaging with other statutory partners in the coming days as we all assess the impact of the bonfire.
An Eleventh Night bonfire in Orangefield Park in east Belfast (David Young/PA)
'NIEA will also focus on the efforts by the landowner to remove the asbestos pile safely from the site in the time ahead and the environmental crime investigation will continue.
'As I have already stated, a review must also be undertaken looking at lessons that can be learned involving all statutory partners.'
Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) area commander Andy Burns said they dealt with 277 emergency 999 calls between 6pm on Friday and 2am on Saturday.
He said: 'This resulted in our firefighters attending 194 operational incidents, 72 of which were bonfire related.
'Peak activity was between 10pm and 1am.
Effigies of controversial Irish rappers Kneecap on a bonfire on Roden Street in Belfast (Niall Carson/PA)
'During this period, the number of emergency calls received increased by 154% when compared to 2024.
'It was a challenging and extremely busy night for NIFRS with an increase in demand for our regional control centre and emergency response.'
He added: 'Disappointingly, a firefighter was attacked while attending a bonfire in Lisburn. They were not injured and remained on duty.
'This was an isolated incident and not reflective of the support shown to firefighters in carrying out their duties across the evening.'
Sinn Fein councillor Declan Lynch said it was 'absolutely disgraceful that a firefighter was attacked while simply doing their job'.
He added: 'Everyone should be able to celebrate their culture, but it must be done in a safe and respectful manner.
The Moygashel bonfire was set alight on Thursday night (Niall Carson/PA)
'Firefighters worked under difficult conditions last night to protect lives, property and infrastructure across the north.
'They deserve our full support and should never face violence for keeping our communities safe.'
Meanwhile, effigies of the Irish rap group Kneecap topped a different bonfire in south Belfast, and there was condemnation of the placing of Irish flags and sectarian slogans on other pyres in loyalist neighbourhoods.
A bonfire at Roden Street in Belfast was topped with effigies of Kneecap, as well as a sign written in the Irish language.
A bonfire in Eastvale Avenue in Dungannon, Co Tyrone, featured the group on a poster with the wording 'Kill Your Local Kneecap', seemingly in response to a clip that emerged from a gig in 2023, which appeared to show a member saying: 'The only good Tory is a dead Tory. Kill your local MP.'
There was also criticism of the placing of Irish flags and sectarian slogans on a number of bonfires, including one in the Highfield area of west Belfast.
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.
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'.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Belfast Telegraph
5 hours ago
- Belfast Telegraph
‘Winding down' UDA men still up to their necks in drug dealing and beatings
Gangsters running rampant in Rathcoole powerbase Despite claims from the South East Antrim UDA that it is winding down, it remains business as usual for the terror gang in its Rathcoole powerbase. Sunday Life has learned that a teenager beaten up at an Eleventh Night bonfire in the Diamond area was set upon by senior UDA figures, not loyalist bandsmen, who they falsely blamed to take attention off themselves.
Scottish Sun
a day ago
- Scottish Sun
Laughing gas ‘epidemic' sweeping party island with tourists left foaming at mouth, having seizures & permanently scarred
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) BRIT tourists have been suffering seizures, foaming at the mouth and left permanently scarred after inhaling toxic drugs on the streets of Ibiza. Armed with industrial-sized canisters of nitrous oxide, determined dealers roam the infamous San Antonio party strip - targeting Brits as "easy prey". 9 Tourists laden with balloons on the notorious San Antonio party strip Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd 9 Local businesses are fed up with the rampant use of balloons on the streets of Ibiza Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd 9 A holidaymaker inhaling nitrous oxide - surrounded by empty balloons Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd But the Class C drug can cause a range of health issues - and in some cases can even be fatal. In the UK, the gas is most commonly sold in small canisters which deliver a single dose - enough to fill one balloon. But dealers in San Antonio are armed with huge canisters that pump out up to 80 hits - and come in boxes of six. At the going rate of five euros a balloon, the street value of a six-pack of canisters is around £2,000 - and they're strewn across the town. When The Sun visited the notorious strip, our reporter was hounded and followed down the street by dealers. Katie Mae, a bartender at Irish pub Shenanigans on the town's main strip, said laughing gas is 'the worst of them all'. The 21-year-old told The Sun: "I'll lecture anyone I see taking it - I've seen the worst things from laughing gas. 'I've seen young lads having seizures on the street and foaming at the mouths, but their friends are high so do nothing to help. 'One girl I saw inhaled gas straight from the canister, and it froze one side of her face. "It was all cut up and she would have been scarred for life." After working on the strip for three seasons, Katie said: 'The consequences aren't talked about anywhere near enough. "People don't take it seriously as a drug - but it's one of the worst." One British bar worker living in San Antonio told us she used to sell laughing gas here, but stopped after one of her customers 'nearly died'. The Brit said she got 'freaked out' when a young lad fell backwards and smashed his head on the road in the midst of a balloon high. She told us: 'I used to sell laughing gas for about a year-and-a-half because it was easy money. 'You'd sell each balloon for five euros and buy the canisters for cheap. There's loads of shops around here that sell them. 'But as soon as that happened I stopped. It really freaked me out. 'And the gas is not good stuff - it freezes your insides.' Nitrous oxide - the facts NITROUS oxide - also known as laughing gas or hippy crack - was recently made a Class C due to the dangers associated with the drug. It can cause a range of health issues and in some cases can even be fatal. Some common side effects from inhaling the gas are dizziness, nausea, disorientation, loss of balance and weakness in legs, according to a study on its risks published to the National Library of Medicine. Nitrous oxide can impair memory and thinking, the research mentioned. Some users might also feel anxious or paranoid. According to the Alcohol and Drug Foundation (ADF), the gas from nitrous oxide bulbs is intensely cold, sometimes as low as minus 40 degrees Celsius. Inhaling directly from the canister or crackers - handheld devices used to 'crack' open canister - can cause frostbite on the nose, lips and throat, even the vocal cords. The icy chill of the gas canisters can also cause cold burns to the hands. Long term, heavy use of laughing gas can cause a lack of vitamin B12. Severe deficiency can lead to serious nerve damage, causing tingling and numbness in the fingers and toes. Lack of B12 can also cause damage to the spinal cord. In some cases, frequent and prolonged use of nitrous oxide has been linked to thromboembolic events - this means a blood clot has gotten stuck and caused an obstruction. The so-called laughing gas has also resulted in deaths. Another Brit staff member at the bar described the situation as an "epidemic". The streets around San Antonio's so-called West End, which includes the main strip and most of the bars, are littered with brightly-coloured rubber confetti. Angelica Giraldo, a shopworker at Xanadu Supermarket near the strip, said the mess left behind by party-goers has ruined certain areas. She said: 'Lots of the tourists who come to San Antonio seem just to want to take drugs and to party rather than enjoy the island. 'I don't really see the other stuff - but the rubbish from the balloons is very clear. You see them all over the road, it's very ugly.' Angelica, 40, has lived in Ibiza all her life and noticed a sharp rise in laughing gas in recent years. She said: 'It is everywhere now. And it causes lots of accidents. 'People take it while driving, but it makes them go crazy and they crash. This happens a lot.' Selling the gas for recreational use is illegal in Spain - but that doesn't stop a crew of drug dealers openly pushing it every night. 9 The streets in San Antonio are full of tourists inhaling nitrous oxide Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd 9 Dealers in San Antonio are armed with huge canisters that pump out up to 80 hits Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd 9 Nitrous oxide balloons litter the floor on the notorious party strip in San Antonio Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd Walking around the West End, tourists are hounded constantly by - and see youngsters as an easy sell. The dealers loiter amongst the outdoor bar seating and persistently hassle drinkers to encourage them to buy balloons - and many do. Bartender Katie claimed the dealers have an app to alert each other if police are patrolling a certain area. On one occasion, The Sun saw Civil Guards officers walking down the strip with a confiscated canister, and another cop was seen searching a young man for drugs. The Sun approached cops on the street - but they all refused to talk about the issue. While laughing gas is the most obvious drug in San Antonio due to the brightly-coloured balloons, almost any party drug you can think of is readily available. 9 Tourists inhale laughing gas on benches in San Antonio Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd 9 Finished balloons litter the street on the notorious party strip Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd 9 Angelica Giraldo, a shopworker at Xanadu Supermarket near the strip, said the mess left behind by party-goers has ruined certain areas Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd Walking along the sea-front, dealers call out "hey, dude, yo, what do you need?' to almost every passerby. Anything other than a stern refusal sees them opening up a pouch stuffed full of drugs, and flashing you bags of coloured powders or pills. Ricardo, who runs Jungle Bistró Ibiza in the old town district with his wife, said he is glad that most of the anti-social behaviour is limited to San Antonio's West End. And he said it is 'easy' for the dealers to sell to young Brits. The restaurant manager said: 'A lot of them are British, they come to San Antonio just for the parties. 'It is easy to sell to them. I don't want any of that over in this part of town. We mainly have families around here' San Antonio Town Council said: "The process is also underway to incorporate ten new officers into the Local Police force, increasing its staff from 59 to 69. "This will ensure a more effective service tailored to the municipality's current needs. "A new position of intrusion and community coexistence officer has also been created, and a private security service will be put out to tender with the aim of reducing vandalism and uncivil behaviour in selected areas. "The City Council is fully aware that these are only the first steps in a broader transformation process and that there is still a long way to go. "Therefore, it remains steadfast in its commitment to continue working to build a better Sant Antoni for everyone, supporting a tourism model that prioritizes quality, sustainability, and coexistence."
North Wales Chronicle
2 days ago
- North Wales Chronicle
Kinahan crime boss ordered to pay back £1m or face more jail time
Irish national Thomas Kavanagh, 57, of Mile Oak in Tamworth, Staffordshire, will have three months to pay the sum or face another 12 years in prison, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said on Friday. Prosecutors estimate the Kinahan organised criminal group, of which Kavanagh was the head, smuggled drugs from Europe with a street value of around £30 million by hiding the products inside machinery. Kavanagh was sentenced in March 2022 to 21 years in prison after pleading guilty to drugs and money laundering offences. A judge sitting at Ipswich Crown Court on Friday estimated that Kavanagh and his associate Gary Vickery, 42, of Boundary Road in Solihull, West Midlands, gained £12,235,047 and £10,966,619 respectively from their criminal lifestyle, the CPS said. The judge ordered Kavanagh to pay £1,123,096 based on his current assets, which include 'his 50% share of his fortified family mansion in Tamworth, money from the sale of various other properties in the UK and a villa in Spain, and approximately £150,000 of high-end bags, clothes and accessories which were discovered when Kavanagh's house was searched following his initial arrest in 2019', a spokesperson for the NCA added. Vickery was ordered to pay a sum of £109,312 within three months, or face another two years in prison, prosecutors said. At previous court hearings, orders were made to forfeit an Audemars Piguet watch worth £75,000, as well as just over 100,000 euros that was seized from a hotel room when Vickery was arrested, the NCA added. Kay Mellor, head of Operations HQ at the NCA, said: 'Thomas Kavanagh was the head of the UK's arm of the Kinahan organised crime group, responsible for the importation and distribution of drugs and firearms, making millions of pounds in the process. 'He and his gang believed they were untouchable, but that proved to be their downfall. 'Kavanagh and Vickery will be behind bars for many years to come and now have to pay back more than £1 million to the state.' Adrian Foster, chief Crown prosecutor, said: 'Thomas Kavanagh and Gary Vickery are dangerous criminals in the organised gang world, importing millions of pounds worth of dangerous drugs on an industrial scale to the UK. 'This successful £1 million Confiscation Order demonstrates the prosecution team's commitment to work across borders to strip organised criminals of their illegal gains. 'We continue to pursue the proceeds of crime robustly and will return them back to court to serve an additional sentence of imprisonment if they fail to pay their orders.' In October 2024, Kavanagh was sentenced to another six years in jail after he and associates plotted to lead NCA officers to a buried stash of 11 weapons in a bid to secure himself a lighter prison sentence for his multimillion-pound drug enterprise. Running the conspiracy from prison, Kavanagh enlisted the help of his brother-in-law, 44-year-old Liam Byrne, and associate Shaun Kent, 38, in the plan to deceive the NCA. Byrne – who fled to Majorca after the events – was jailed for five years while Kent was handed a six-year prison sentence for their roles in the plot.
