Christmas presents destroyed following arson attack

A family car full of Christmas presents was burnt out and a house was damaged following an arson attack yesterday.

Three children aged seven, 11 and 13 were among the four family members inside the house during the attack.

Nobody was injured during the attack, during which the side of the house was burnt. "It could have been my children," said the woman who lives in the house, speaking to BBC Radio Foyle.

"We have a family car that's completely wrote off - burnt out - with a boot full of Santa's presents gone."

Two young men were seen acting suspiciously in the area at the time.

It was revealed that the attackers had tried to attack two cars on the same street at Temple Park before setting the third car on fire. The family were alerted by a neighbour at 1am, who told them their car was on fire.

Detectives are appealing for information.

One of the males is described as being about 5’10” tall, with dark hair and was wearing a two-toned puffa style jacket with a fur hood.

The hood and sleeves were dark grey in colour while the body of the coat was light grey.

Detective Sergeant Joan Rawson said: “I would ask anyone who knows anything about this incident, or anyone in the area who believes that their car may have been tampered with, to contact detectives at Strand Road Police Station on the non-emergency number 101, quoting reference number 82 of 04/12/16. Or if someone would prefer to provide information without giving their details, they can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers and speak to them anonymously on 0800 555 111.”