Belfast City Council and the Northern Ireland Housing Executive (NIHE) have been called to compensate residents living at an apartment block damaged by the bonfire in the Victoria Place area.

Sinn Féin group leader on Belfast City Council, Cllr Jim McVeigh, said they "cannot wash their hands" of the damage.

He said: "Belfast City Council found itself embroiled in a scandal in facilitating the movement of pallets from this site with the intention of returning them. This decision was made in secret with a handful of councillors. Sinn Féin put a stop to that.

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"The land that this mammoth bonfire was built upon belongs to the Housing Executive. At no time that I am aware of did the Housing Executive take responsibility for an illegal bonfire on its land and seek an injunction or the removal of these materials.

"What we are left with now are residents in limbo with damaged property due to the failures of statutory agencies. These residents are rate payers. They could very well find themselves with increased insurance premiums due to the negligence of others. This is wholly unacceptable."

(CD/MH)