Graffiti threatening council staff at bonfire site condemned

Graffiti threatening Belfast City Council staff that has appeared near the site of anti-internment bonfire in the New Lodge has been condemned.

Council workers along with contractors and politicians have been removing pallets being stockpiled in north Belfast for the event that's expected to take place later in August.

In response, a threatening message has been left telling them not to interfere.

Sinn Féin councillor JJ Magee told UTV: “From early June we’ve been working with the community and with the support of the community and we have been going in with the Housing Executive and contractors along with other volunteers and lifting these pallets and other rubbish that has appeared for the bonfire.

“This happened last year, there were threats, they mentioned about vans and last year my van was attacked – it’s just part of the ongoing anti-social behaviour that’s in the area.”

Several IRA flags have also been put up in the nearby North Queen Street, which is adding to tensions.

Mr Magee continued: “I think we’re all trying very, very hard, I think these people do not want to move forward within our community and that’s in both communities, they are putting these flags up to try and stall that progress.

“I think these flags should be removed, we don’t need flags to show our Irish identity, this hurts nobody only the people who are finding it hard to live day-by-day in that community.”

In a statement, the Housing Executive said it took ''all threats very seriously'' but said it had "no grounds to believe a direct threat had been made against its contractor". It said ''the removal of materials from the New Lodge area has been with full community support".

Sinn Féin wants council officials to have more power to remove materials from bonfires. A motion will be put forward calling for that to happen on Wednesday evening at a special council meeting.