A bonfire was removed from the site of a special school for "health and safety" reasons, the Education Authority has said.
Materials had been placed near Cedar Lodge School in the Fairhill Walk area of North Belfast.
A Facebook page called Fairhill Community Bonfire claimed "masked men protected by the PSNI" removed what it described as a "kids' bonfire" early on Thursday.
Read more: The 'staggering' cost to the public of cleaning up after bonfires in Northern Ireland
Loyalist activist Jamie Bryson had raised questions online over the decision to remove the pyre.
Police said they offered "no specific assistance" to contractors removing materials but officers did attend the scene for a period during routine patrols.
The Education Authority said the bonfire was constructed at the site without permission.
A spokeswoman said: "EA was recently made aware of a bonfire on the site of an active special school in North Belfast which we can confirm was constructed without consent.
"The health and safety of the local community and public as a whole is of our utmost importance and therefore removal of the bonfire materials had to be undertaken.
"We remain neutral on cultural festivals and continue to engage with local community representatives and partner agencies."
A PSNI spokeswoman said: "Police were aware of plans by the Education Authority to remove bonfire material from their premises but no specific assistance or support was sought from the police service.
"Officers on patrol did stop and speak with the contractors for a time as part of their routine duties."
Belfast City Council said the operation did not involve the local authority or its contractors.
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