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Fly-tipping fine notices appear at loyalist bonfire in Belfast

Fly tipping signs on a loyalist bonfire at Milltown Hill near Shaws Bridge
Fly tipping signs on a loyalist bonfire at Milltown Hill near Shaws Bridge Fly tipping signs on a loyalist bonfire at Milltown Hill near Shaws Bridge

PLACARDS have been erected at a loyalist bonfire in the Belvoir area of south Belfast advising fly-tippers they face a £50 fine if caught dumping rubbish in the area.

The hand-painted boards - which say 'No Fly-tipping £50 fine' - appeared on railings at the collection site on Milltown Hill, close to Shaw's Bridge, in recent days.

DUP councillor Christopher Stalford, who represents the Balmoral ward, said he "hadn't seen any evidence of fly-tipping up there".

The SDLP's Donal Lyons spotted the notices at the weekend and said they are "certainly not official council signs".

"I am not sure what to make of it," he said.

"If it is them trying to be responsible, fair play, but I am not sure they have it within their power to fine people!"

A PSNI spokesman said fly-tipping is a council matter.

According to the NI Direct government website if you are caught dumping waste where it is not permitted you can face large fines and even be sent to prison.

It also urges anyone who sees others fly-tipping to report it to the council.

In previous years in the lead up to the Twelfth, police have cordoned off the Milltown bonfire area because of fears it was unstable and a section of the road was closed due to large numbers of people gathering in the area.

Mr Lyons said he has "major concerns" about the safety of the bonfire planned for this year.

"My major concern is they have been collecting for nearly two months now," he said.

"It is beside a main road, the community doesn't uniformly welcome the bonfires and over the years it has got bigger and bigger.

"The land up there is quite slanted and material is continuously being added to the piles so I don't see how they can feasibly build it safely.

"It is the side of a hill and a main circular road so I don't see how they are going to construct it safely."

Last year over the Twelfth period the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) responded to 176 emergency call outs, 52 of which were bonfire-related.

Nineteen of these incidents required action from fire crews.