Fears are growing that serious health and environmental damage could be caused when a huge bonfire in Antrim is lit on 11 July.The bonfire on the Ballycraigy estate contains hundreds of rubber tyres and dwarfs nearby houses.
However, loyalists at Stoneyford in Lisburn have exchanged the traditional bonfire for a medieval-style beacon.
Resident Mark Harbinson said the beacon would be lit in a steel basket at the top of a 25ft support column.
Ballycraigy residents said that apart from damage to the environment, they could also suffer from effect of toxic fumes from the burning tyres.
Anne Blacker, of the DoE's Environmental Crime Team, said the bonfires issue "had caused a lot of frustration".
She said lack of funding and difficulty in persuading witnesses to come forward "made it increasingly difficult for her organisation to bring people before the courts for burning tyres and pallets on eleventh night bonfires".
All Anne has to do is go out there with her team of environmentalists and take it away on a couple of trucks. Job done.
ReplyDeleteI went to a "11th Night" bonfire in Balleymena a few years back, it wasn't 40ft , but was as impressive with no tyres !
ReplyDeleteEven 400 yards away we were roasting, the people on the estate were so friendly and allowed whoever into their houses to avoid the heat.