POLICE did not pursue a council's report of bonfire pallets being stolen from its property because the council was "not the victim".
The PSNI was contacted by Belfast City Council last year after thousands of pallets were removed from its facility on Gransha Road where they were controversially being stored for loyalist bonfire builders.
In February, the PSNI confirmed it did not question anyone over the reported theft, and enquiries into the matter had concluded.
But it has now emerged police did not pursue it because they did not accept the council's report as a formal complaint, and a community group identified as the "owners of the pallets" declined to make a complaint.
The reported theft came after The Irish News had revealed the council was storing around 2,500 pallets for east Belfast's Walkway area and was due to return them before the Eleventh Night.
It prompted anger from some councillors who said they were not consulted and called for the pallets not to be returned.
But before a decision was made, the pallets were removed from the council site and staff reported them stolen.
The council later commissioned an internal report into its decision to store pallets. The report, carried out by former Northern Ireland Ombudsman Tom Frawley, has been presented to councillors but has not yet been made public.
Asked further about the police response to the reported theft last June, a PSNI spokesman said: "The matter was reported by staff from Belfast City Council.
"Police did commence an investigation when the matter was reported, however as the council were not the victim, police had to ascertain and speak to the owners of the pallets to see if they wished to make a formal complaint.
"The council advised police that the pallets belonged to Bloomfield Community Support Group, the investigating officer spoke to a member of the group who confirmed ownership of the pallets.
"Police did conduct initial enquiries and on speaking to the community group they declined to make a formal complaint/statement. In the absence of a complaint the matter was closed."
In February the PSNI confirmed its enquiries had concluded, saying that "no-one has been made amenable for the matter".
The Bloomfield Community Support Group could not be contacted for comment.
