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| East Belfast bonfire: Families moved and homes boarded due to safety concerns | East Belfast bonfire: Families moved and homes boarded due to safety concerns |
| (31 minutes later) | |
| More than 50 homes in east Belfast have been boarded up to protect them from an Eleventh Night bonfire. | More than 50 homes in east Belfast have been boarded up to protect them from an Eleventh Night bonfire. |
| A number of families have moved out in the area around Chobham Street. | A number of families have moved out in the area around Chobham Street. |
| Housing Executive workers spent Friday morning putting up boards to protect windows and doors at 54 properties. | Housing Executive workers spent Friday morning putting up boards to protect windows and doors at 54 properties. |
| The bonfire is on land owned by the Department for Regional Development. It is 30ft from terraced houses. | The bonfire is on land owned by the Department for Regional Development. It is 30ft from terraced houses. |
| Ulster Unionist councillor Sonia Copeland has appealed to the bonfire-makers to reduce it in size. | Ulster Unionist councillor Sonia Copeland has appealed to the bonfire-makers to reduce it in size. |
| They say they are willing to listen to suggestions to make it safer, but their current intention is to make it bigger. | They say they are willing to listen to suggestions to make it safer, but their current intention is to make it bigger. |
| Some families living beside the bonfire moved out of their homes after the Fire and Rescue Service warned their lives and property could be in danger. | Some families living beside the bonfire moved out of their homes after the Fire and Rescue Service warned their lives and property could be in danger. |
| Despite a number of meetings with various statutory agencies the people who are building the bonfire have refused to move it elsewhere. | Despite a number of meetings with various statutory agencies the people who are building the bonfire have refused to move it elsewhere. |
| Ulster Unionist councillor Jim Rodgers said it was the biggest that he "could ever recall". | Ulster Unionist councillor Jim Rodgers said it was the biggest that he "could ever recall". |
| "This is a very worrying time for many of the residents," he said. | "This is a very worrying time for many of the residents," he said. |
| "There are four streets which are worrying the Fire and Rescue Service as well as the Walkway Community Centre which is voluntarily owned." | |
| Mr Rodgers said a series of meetings had been held over the last two months with a wide range of public bodies to try to address the issue. | Mr Rodgers said a series of meetings had been held over the last two months with a wide range of public bodies to try to address the issue. |
| He said attempts had also been made to try to persuade the builders to reduce its size. | He said attempts had also been made to try to persuade the builders to reduce its size. |
| "We have tried to work with the bonfire builders, we're not against the bonfire, but where there is a risk to life, where there is a risk to property, action needs to be taken, but unfortunately they're adamant that the bonfire is not going to be reduced in size," he said. | "We have tried to work with the bonfire builders, we're not against the bonfire, but where there is a risk to life, where there is a risk to property, action needs to be taken, but unfortunately they're adamant that the bonfire is not going to be reduced in size," he said. |
| "What I'm asking them now to do is to behave in a responsible fashion. | "What I'm asking them now to do is to behave in a responsible fashion. |
| "We don't want to see this district ruined. It's a very good area, I was born and brought up in it. | "We don't want to see this district ruined. It's a very good area, I was born and brought up in it. |
| "This is a very worrying time for many elderly residents and people just don't know what to do." | "This is a very worrying time for many elderly residents and people just don't know what to do." |