Homes set on fire deliberately

The Fire and Rescue Service received reports of a fire at a house on Woodside Road at shortly before 10.30pm on Tuesday.

It took fire crews an hour to bring the blaze under control. Both houses had been unoccupied for some time.

Station Commander Nigel Hagem said the blaze could have put the safety of his crew at risk, particularly as live electricity cables were arcing inside the burning premises.

"There were live electric cables, the fuse box was hanging off the wall," he said which forced the fire crews to treat the fire defensively initially.

"We were fighting the fire from outside because of the nature of the hazards the crews were facing."

Meanwhile, DUP Alderman Joe Miller, has urged anyone with information on the circumstances surrounding the blaze to report what they know to the authorities.

"As chairman of the District Policing Partnership I am appealing to anyone with information to give it to lawful authorities and let them investigate it," he said.

"I am also appealing to young folk to stay away from derelict buildings, because frequently they are in a dangerous state of repair and could result in a tragedy."

A PSNI spokeswoman said police in Newbuildings were investigating the circumstances surrounding the fire, which was reported at 10.26pm on Monday

"At this stage it is being treated as suspicious," she said, adding: "Police would appeal to anyone who has information in relation to this incident to contact them on 0845 600 8000".