Belmont residents fearful after 'targeted arson attack'

Residents in the Belmont area of the city have been left “fearful” following a “targeted arson attack” which destroyed a van and three cars.

The “terrifying” incident occurred in Grianan Drive, a “quiet residential area” at around 11.30pm on Monday.

Speaking to Derry News, a resident of the street said initially she heard a “pop” as  if something had “dropped or fallen”.

The resident said: “I didn’t pay too much attention. Then, about a minute later, I heard another loud bang which made me go to the front of the house.

“That’s when I saw a work van and a BMW X5 jeep, belonging to another resident in the street, on fire.

“The BMW was engulfed in flames and the work van was just beginning to catch fire at that stage. 

“Just under the rim of the driver’s side was on fire and it very quickly went to the engine and blew.

“It was absolute pandemonium. The car and the van just went up in flames. It was terrifying.”

The woman explained that the flames then spread to another car, which belonged to her next-door neighbour.

“It was frightening how quickly the fire spread,” she said. “What’s worse is that my neighbour just recently lost her father and the car she used to drive him around in and depends on, is now burnt out, destroyed. It had great sentimental value to her.

“We have been residents here for 50 years and we have never seen anything like this at all. It is a mixed neighbourhood. It is a very quiet residential area. Everyone gets on well but on this occasion it seems to have been a very targeted arson attack.”

Describing the aftermath of the arson attack, the woman said there had been “very little sleep last night”.

“The whole street was in uproar,” she said. “Everybody was out wondering what was going on because it is such a quiet area.

“Everybody was just in shock. It was frantic, trying to get the fire brigade here and the police were quite long in coming. However, when they came, they went to all the houses in the street. They knocked all doors.

“To make matters worse, in addition to my neighbour’s car going on fire, her daughter’s car was also scorched from the damage caused to the BMW jeep.

“The whole front of it is very badly damaged. The grill is gone. The tyres and the headlights are damaged and she is so reliant on it as well.

“This morning (Tuesday) we are feeling disgusted and angry and really shocked to the core. 

“We are sitting looking out at four cars in a row that are completely burnt out. It is just something we have never seen before - not even during the Troubles.”

The Belmont resident said everyone in the street was feeling “quite fearful” following the incident.

She added: “We don’t know why this happened. We don’t know if it is going to happen again.”

The woman whose car was destroyed on Monday night told Derry News she was “heartbroken”.

“I am absolutely disgusted. I am heartbroken. I know it is just a material thing but my car had great, great  sentimental value to me. 

“I lost my father two months ago and the car was got to take him to and from doctors and hospital appointments for his disability,” she said.

“It carries a lot of sentimental value and now it is going to be getting towed away.

“It is completely burnt out, while sitting directly outside my front door. I can’t take it in.

“Never in our lives have we experienced anything like this. It is an absolute disgrace. It has left me fearful. 

“There are a lot of quite vulnerable people living here. There are old age pensioners, young families, there is a mixture. I am here 52 years.

“There was no sleep last night. I don’t know if there is going to be much sleep tonight [Tuesday] either to be honest or after because if that can happen at 11.30 at night what could happen at two or three in the morning?” she asked.

Local councillor, Sandra Duffy condemned those behind the vehicle fires.

Cllr Duffy said: “This was a totally irresponsible act. A number of cars were destroyed and a number badly damaged.

“This was a frightening experience for many local residents, in what is a very settled community.

“I would urge anyone with information on this incident to bring it forward.”

Also appealing to anyone with information about the incident to come forward, a PSNI spokesperson said: “Our appeal is to anyone with information, or who saw any suspicious activity in the area last night to get in touch with us. This also extends to anyone with CCTV or doorbell cameras to check their footage.

“Call 101 with information, quoting reference number 2091 of 12/03/24 or, make a report online via: www.psni.police.uk/report or Crimestoppers, which can be contacted anonymously on 0800 555 111.