It comes after the Mayor, Councillor Ronnie Crawford, and the Community Relations Council agreed to fund the beacon in the village.

But Sinn Féin MLA Paul Butler is now demanding to know how the Community Relations Council can "justify funding" for this event and why the Mayor was at the event, "given the sectarian attacks against Catholics in the village"..

Mr Butler said he will be asking for an urgent meeting with the Community Relations Council.

"I want an explanation as to how they came to a decision to fund this event given that a Lisburn Council report last year had been critical of the damage that event had done to community relations in the area."

Mr Butler also said he was "shocked" that Mr Crawford had helped light the beacon which had one of Mr Butler's election posters placed on top of it.

"It is disgraceful that the Mayor of Lisburn is associating himself with an event like this" he said.

He continued: "Sinn Fein also intend to take this matter up with the Equality Commission. There is an obligation on Lisburn Council and the Mayor to promote good relations.

"The Mayor's involvement in this event has damaged community relations amongst the Catholic community."

But responding to Mr Butler's comments Mr Crawford said Mr Butler was choosing to ignore the fact the 12th celebrations in Stoneyford went off "in a relaxed and enjoyable manner."

Mr Crawford said he was unaware that a poster of Mr Butler was on the beacon until he arrived in the village on the eleventh night.

"I was not aware of the existence of an old poster of his on the beacon until I arrived at the scene but as one whose own posters have appeared on bonfires in Lisburn I do not share his feigned distress.

"Clearly, he is more interested in the political future of Paul Butler than he is in the welfare of all the people of Stoneyford.

"What he refuses to recognise are the positive gains Alderman Davis and I negotiated with the PSNI, the Water Service and the Stoneyford Jubilee Committee."

Mr Crawford went on to say that he believes the Council is now in a better position to persuade community groups to go down the road of using a beacon and a fireworks display instead of "these huge, polluting bonfires which turn areas into a scrap yard months before the 11th night".

He added: "I would like to thank the CRC for the funding they provided to replace the funding withdrawn at the last minute by a section of Lisburn Council.

"If tensions are not reduced in Stoneyford, then it is the people of Stoneyford who are the losers but by working together and creating a more harmonious atmosphere, the housing market conditions will improve and people can enjoy this idyllic rural setting to its full potential.

"I intend to use all my influence to that end and I would challenge Cllr. Butler to start to do the same."