More than 450 wooden pallets were removed from beneath the Lecky Road flyover in Londonderry on Wednesday morning, according to SDLP councillor John Boyle. The Department for Infrastructure, accompanied by police, took away the material because of a fire risk to underground gas mains.

A department spokesperson said the storage of the pallets was illegal and created a serious fire safety risk. The road was closed for a time after the removal. Some items were later set on fire on the road. Lecky Road was closed a second time on Wednesday evening after pallets were set alight, and police asked motorists to avoid the area.

Boyle said there had been sporadic confrontations between youths at interface areas on Wednesday night. He called for calm over the following 24 to 48 hours.

Boyle said it had initially been thought there would be no bonfire in the Bogside this year. In recent days, however, a possibility emerged that a bonfire might be built on the road itself. He said that would have posed a danger to people and property because a major gas pipeline sits inches below the road surface.

Bonfires on 15 August are traditional in some nationalist areas of Northern Ireland to mark the Feast of the Assumption. A bonfire in the Bogside has attracted large crowds in recent years and has faced criticism over the burning of poppy wreaths, as well as unionist flags and symbols. Previously the bonfire was built and lit at Meenan Square, which is now being redeveloped. A bonfire was built on the flyover in 2016.

First Minister Michelle O'Neill welcomed the removal of the materials. She commended those who removed the pallets, saying she did not want to see bonfires that cause disruption in the community.

Boyle said the pallets had been stored in a storage bay or tunnel underneath the flyover. He said the quantity was large and had taken local people by surprise. He said the Department for Infrastructure must clarify whether the same approach would be taken for storage of bonfire materials on its property, regardless of location or who was building a bonfire.