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The UDA have built a huge bonfire on the only land a Co Down primary school can use for its annual sports day.

Now almost 500 children from P2 to P7 face ending their summer term without their family fun day and traditional races and competitions.

Scores of huge rubber tyres and wooden pallets have been piled with mattresses onto the site in Newtownards, just metres from the Bowtown housing estate and a new development.

A furious local mum told Belfast Live: “Where are our children to go now? We don’t want this bonfire. It went up overnight on Monday and we woke to see it on Tuesday when we were walking the kids to school.

“Members of the UDA have built the bonfire and not only that, they have used hundreds of rubber tyres and now they have advertised on the roadside for people to dump wood there.

“The school doesn’t have anywhere for a sports day and now the area of land that’s been used for it since I was a pupil there, is a site for a bonfire with scrap wood and other toxic rubbish.

“Abbey Primary School always holds its sports day in June. The bonfires are lit in July so why do we have a bonfire built in the Bowtown in April? It’s ridiculous.

“And even if it is allowed, how would we ever make sure the area is clear of nails for a fun day or sports day afterwards? It’s selfish and the majority of residents want it removed.

“We have had beacons in the Bowtown on the Twelfth and people have been happy with them. Now we have this load of rubbish and we’re disgusted.”

Principal of Abbey Primary School, Pauline Magowan, said she was deeply disappointed to see the bonfire assembled at the Bowtown Estate.

She explained: “Our children normally enjoy their school sports day around June 8 every year. It’s a wonderful day that the parents come to and every one has a great time, a fun time. We have to use the area of land across from the school because our school grounds are very steep and sloping which means the children cannot really run a race anywhere.

“Every year we get permission from the Housing Executive and the Education Authority to use the land and to take the children over to it.

“But in the last two days this bonfire has been built and now it looks like we have nowhere to go. It’s very disappointing and we just hope something can be done to help us.”

A spokeswoman for Ards and North Down Borough Council, said: “We are working at present with local community representatives to negotiate the removal of tyres and other toxic materials from this site which has been erected on Housing Executive land at the Bowtown Estate in the last week.”

A DOE spokesman said: “The Northern Ireland Environment Agency is liaising with the council which has responsibility for bonfires and related community relations.

“That said, NIEA audit tyre retailers jointly with local council officers to ensure waste tyres are handled properly and take enforcement action where illegal activity has taken place.

“We have seen at first hand that major fire incidents can occur at sites used for the large scale storage of waste and used tyres.

“Everyone should be aware that burning tyres generates toxic fumes and by-products which are extremely dangerous to human and animal health.

“In addition, where waste tyres are stockpiled, leaching of chemicals onto land and rivers may also occur, posing a risk to animals and human health.”