A DUP councillor has been urged to join his wife in apologising after they posed together for a picture beside a burning bonfire with an Irish tricolour on top.
Lisburn and Castlereagh representative James Tinsley was photographed beside the Edenderry bonfire near Portadown last July with his wife, DUP councillor Margaret Tinsley.
The picture attracted criticism after Mrs Tinsley – the deputy mayor of Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon council – posted the image on her Facebook page.
She issued an apology last week, eight months on, after a complaint was made against her to the Local Government Commissioner for Standards.
Mrs Tinsley said she was "totally unaware of the burning flag when making the Facebook post" and accepts the image was "offensive, disrespectful and inappropriate".
The apology was issued after the complaint was proposed to be dealt with by way of 'alternative action', in which the watchdog seeks to resolve a matter without resorting to a formal adjudication.
Mr Tinsley's involvement in the photo was not examined by the standards commissioner because no complaint was made against him.
Sinn Féin councillor Ryan Carlin described the bonfire image as "very disappointing" and said Mr Tinsley should also apologise.
"In respect of his wife's apology, he probably should come out and offer a similar apology," Mr Carlin said yesterday.
"I would hope that he would just follow suit and do the right thing and offer an apology."
Mr Tinsley and the DUP were asked yesterday whether he would also say sorry, but neither responded to requests for a comment.
