WEST Belfast SDLP councillor Paul Doherty has called for police to intervene to remove loyalist flags at Broadway roundabout.
Both UDA and UVF flags have been erected at the Rise sculpture popularly known as 'the Balls on the Falls'.
It comes after UVF flags were put up outside nearby Windsor Park stadium in recent weeks.
"This is a deliberate attempt to stoke up tension in our community and it can’t be allowed to continue," said Councillor Doherty.
A UDA flag at Broadway roundabout
"The police need to intervene quickly and facilitate the removal of these flags, just as they have done in other parts of the North.
"People in West Belfast deserve the same service as anyone else and I’ll be raising it as soon as possible."
A spokesperson for the DfI said: “The problem of illegal flags and emblems on street furniture is a persistent one that requires a comprehensive and lasting solution.
"Article 87 of the Roads (NI) Order 1993 makes it an offence to attach unauthorised signs or advertisements to structures such as lampposts.
"One of the Department’s primary considerations is the safety of the public and where unauthorised flags or attachments pose a hazard to road users, the Department will seek to remove that danger.
"Where there is no such danger, the Department will liaise closely with other key stakeholders and seek to provide a solution.”
The police have similarly refused to become involved.
PSNI Assistant Chief Constable Bobby Singleton said: “Within the current statutory framework, the removal of flags is not the responsibility of the Police Service nor do we have a specific power to do so and we will only act to remove flags where there are assessed risks to public safety owing to their erection.
“We are aware that this is a sensitive issue for the whole community and there is no easy solution. There is no community or political consensus on the flags issue and ultimately this requires a political not a policing resolution.
“Our experience shows the most effective solution to this issue is negotiation, mediation and engagement between local communities working with agencies including local police.
“We will continue to work with local communities and partners to find long term solutions to the issues surrounding the flying of flags.”
