11th Night: Alliance calls for investigation into burning of flags and posters

An Irish tricolour flag was burned on the bonfire at Chobham Street in east Belfast

The Alliance Party has called on police to investigate the burning of election posters and Irish flags on bonfires lit to mark Eleventh Night celebrations.

The party also criticised the size of a bonfire near houses in Chobham Street in east Belfast, which required six fire appliances to keep under control.

Alliance, Sinn Féin and SDLP election posters, as well as a number of Irish flags, were burned on some bonfires.

However, the police said they cannot deal with the issues alone.

Days before the Chobham Street bonfire, the windows and doors of 54 homes were boarded up to protect the glass and a number of families moved out of the area.

On Saturday night, 35 firefighters worked for more than two hours keeping people and property safe at the site.

Elsewhere, fire crews dealt with a further 28 bonfire-related calls and had to intervene to ensure safety at 12 sites in total.

The Alliance Party said the police and local councils should take action, where necessary to avoid the dangers posed by bonfires.

Assistant Chief Constable Stephen Martin called for a wider debate on the bonfires to ensure the safety of everyone.