Just under £50,000 worth of bonfire diversionary funding has been granted to a South Belfast organisation despite it not meeting the relevant application criteria set down by the council.
After Sinn Féin, the DUP and the UUP passed £47,745 of funding for the Greater Village Regeneration Trust during a secret Belfast City Council meeting on Wednesday, Alliance Party representatives have announced they contacted the Audit Office for an independent assessment on the matter.
One Alliance representative said the PSNI told councillors there could be "a threat of violence" if the area didn't get the funding.
