County Derry arson being treated as 'racially-motivated' attack

Detectives are appealing for information and witnesses following an early-morning arson attack at a house in Coleraine.

Detective Inspector Hanbidge said: “Police received a report at approximately 3am this morning, Friday 13th June, of a fire at the rear of a property in the Mount Street area of the town.

“Upon officers’ arrival the fire had been extinguished by colleagues from the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service.

“Thankfully, the house had not caught fire after an oil tank at the rear of the property had been set alight causing damage to the outside of the property. The inside of the house, however, had filled with smoke.

“A man and woman and their four young children who were inside the house at the time were thankfully able to escape uninjured.

“This, however, was a deliberate attack on a young family which could have had potentially serious consequences.

“As such, we are treating this report as arson with a racially-motivated hate element, and everyone, regardless of their ethnic background, has the right to feel safe in their home.

“Our enquiries are continuing today – with officers at the scene conducting enquiries. We are appealing to anyone who was in the area at the time and noticed anything suspicious to make contact with us.

“We also want to hear from anyone who may have CCTV, dash-cam or other footage of the area to contact police on 101, quoting reference number 144 13/06/25.”A report can be made using the online reporting form via psni.police.uk/makeareportAlternatively, information can be provided to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at crimestoppers-uk.org."

Claire Sugden MLA has condemned the arson attack.

“This was a deliberate attack on a family’s home and it’s completely unacceptable. Everyone should feel safe where they live, and no one should be targeted because of who they are. There’s no excuse for this kind of behaviour, it causes fear and tension and has no place in our community,” Ms Sugden said.

“The actions of a few must not be allowed to damage the character of the community as a whole.

“Coleraine is a place where people want to live in peace with their neighbours.”