Police in Northern Ireland have said a replica mosque displayed on top of a loyalist bonfire in Moygashel is being treated as a hate-motivated criminal offence. Officers arrested a 56-year-old man on suspicion of displaying threatening, abusive or insulting material intended to stir up hatred.

The display drew widespread condemnation from politicians and rights groups. Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn said the bonfire does not represent the majority in the region and rejected the intimidation. Justice Minister Naomi Long said the effigy was a “nauseating spectacle of hatred” and called on organisers to take it down. Hilary Benn and others described the act as cowardly and hateful, while several parties condemned the decision to place the effigy on a bonfire during the July period.

The bonfire association behind the event said the display combined cultural expression with political protest and said it was aimed at “ideology and government policy,” not at individuals. The association also said participants were exercising rights to protest, while community leaders and campaigners argued the imagery was meant to inflame anti-Muslim hatred and intimidate local families.

Police said they were considering next steps as the investigation continued, with officers increasing their presence in the area in response to concerns about the type of display that might appear.