Guinness World Records has been urged not to consider an attempt to construct a controversial 200ft plus Eleventh Night bonfire in Co Antrim.
Building work is already underway at the controversial pyre in the Craigyhill area of Larne, which is just a short distance from where 36-year-old John Steele fell to his death while helping to build a bonfire in nearby Antiville area last year.
A GoFundMe page has now been set up to raise £9,000 to bring an adjudicator from the world famous Guinness World Records to assess the structure at Craigyhill in Larne.
A bonfire at the same site last year reached a height of around 202ft - which organisers claim is an unofficial world record.
The current world record for a bonfire stands at more than 198ft for a pyre built in Austria.
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Those behind the towering Co Antrim structure now want to break that 'record' and go even higher in their quest this year.
They say last year's height was not officially recognised as the cost of bringing a Guinness World Records adjudicator to the Co Antrim bonfire site was too high.
Belfast SDLP councillor Carl Whyte has highlighted grave concerns about the bonfire.
Mr Whyte said the "prospect of obtaining a Guinness world record is unfortunately encouraging bonfire builders to attempt to build pyres to heights which are extremely dangerous, posing a risk to the local community and to bonfire builders themselves.
"Just last year we saw the tragic loss of a life while attempting to build a large bonfire and we have a duty to do everything we can to ensure this never happens again in future," he said.
Mr Whyte urged Guinness World Records not to engage with the Larne bonfire builders.
“I have written to Guinness World Records asking them to confirm that they will not consider bonfires of this nature for adjudication so that we can stop these wildly unsafe record attempts once and for all," he said.
"Guinness World Records have clear policies around not adjudicating on records which could cause potential harm or danger to spectators, have a negative impact on the environment or are illegal."
Mr Whyte added that “we need a long-term solution to the current bonfire situation that allows people to celebrate their traditions and culture, but doesn’t return us to the same old arguments every single year.
"The last thing we need is the pursuit of world records putting bonfire builders and communities in danger," he said.
The Craigyhill bonfire is being built on land held by Mid and East Antrim Borough Council on a long-term lease.
A spokesman last night said: "Council has not granted permission nor been asked to provide permission."
On its website Guinness World Records has what it describes as a "list of record policies that must be adhered to for all our record breaking achievements".
One section deals with "illegal activities".
"Guinness World Records will not endorse or permit Illegal activities in pursuit of record breaking. Any record attempt proven to occur outside of the local law would be disqualified," it says.
Under another section headed 'inappropriate/offensive' Guinness World Records say they "will not process inappropriate or offensive applications".
A separate section deals with "politically motivated record applications".
"Guinness World Records is an apolitical organisation, determined to protect the integrity of our records by remaining politically neutral," it says.
"Therefore, we do not accept record applications which we consider to be politically motivated and we reserve the right to reject or cancel a record application should we deem it to promote a political agenda."
Guinness World Records was contacted.
