BELFAST councillors have defended a council policy on removing bonfire materials after a contractor withdrew its services following violence in nationalist areas.
Police came under attack from youths and cars were torched as disorder erupted in the Markets, Divis and New Lodge areas on Monday after council contractors removed bonfire materials.
There was further disorder the following night as anti-internment bonfires were lit in some nationalist neighbourhoods.
A petrol bomb and three paint bombs were thrown at police at Victoria Gardens in the New Lodge and another petrol bomb was thrown in west Belfast's Pembrook Loop Road area.
North Queen Street had to be temporarily closed after a car was set on fire at about 10.10pm, and another vehicle was set alight at Townsend Street at about 2am.
Last week councillors voted to allow staff or contractors to remove materials from city bonfire sites.
But after Monday's disorder the contractor refused to remove any more materials, citing "increasing tensions and significant health and safety concerns".
Their withdrawal has led to questions over the future of the policy, aimed at tackling dangerous July and August pyres.
Nationalists and unionists were split on last week's Sinn Féin motion, which passed by 31 votes to 21 at city hall.
It was supported by Sinn Féin, SDLP, Alliance and People Before Profit, but opposed by the DUP, UUP, PUP and Green Party.
Alliance councillor Michael Long said it was "nonsense" to suggest the policy was dead because a contractor dropped out.
"The policy was always an enabling policy rather than a mandatory one," he said.
"It was always the position and always has been the position that if it wasn't possible for health and safety reasons that obviously contractors wouldn't be able to go ahead."
He called for a strategy involving all statutory agencies and more police support to tackle the problem, and criticised unionists who "ran away" from the issue.
SDLP councillor Tim Attwood also defended the policy, saying the "principle is still the same".
"It's pretty normal given the state of affairs in the north from time to time because of those tensions contractors do not wish to participate, but we'll have contractors and have had contractors in place in the past and will so in the future," he told the BBC.
Bonfires are lit in some nationalist areas to mark the anniversary of the introduction of internment in 1971.
But residents and elected representatives have mainly opposed such pyres, branding them "anti-social behaviour" and voicing safety concerns.
Belfast council workers were seen clearing up the charred debris at bonfire sites early yesterday morning.
Sinn Féin councillor JJ Magee blamed "an anti-social element" on the recent disorder and said it had nothing to do with marking internment.
He said New Lodge residents had been "let down" by the statutory authorities.
PSNI superintendent Andrea McMullan said officers would continue to investigate the recent disorder.
"Those who engage in public disorder, anti-social behaviour and attacks on property should expect to face consequences for their actions," she said.
Asked for details about its contractor arrangements, a council spokesman said: "Belfast City Council does not comment on contractual issues."
