Lucky escape after arsonists attack Lisburn flat

His Young Street flat was deliberately set on fire in the early hours of Tuesday morning however, luckily the occupier was not at home at the time.

Two appliances from Lisburn Fire Station attended the fire in the first floor flat shortly after 1am on Tuesday morning.

The man, who is now homeless and waiting for the Housing Executive to find him a new home, said he believed he had been deliberately targeted.

“This has left me homeless,” he said. “The Housing Executive have boarded up the flat and I am now waiting to be re-homed.

“I have no enemies and I can only think I was targeted because I am an outsider, a Catholic living in a Protestant area.”

However, police in Lisburn have said they are not currently following the line of inquiry the attack had a sectarian motive.

“Shortly after 1am, it was reported a fire was started at the door of the property, causing scorch damage to the front door and smoke damage to the flat,” said a spokesperson for the police. “Luckily no one was in the property at the time and no one was injured as a result of this fire.”

A spokesperson for the Housing Executive confirmed they were currently working to find new accommodation for the man, who lived alone in the Lisburn flat. “The Housing Executive is aware of this incident and we have secured the property in question,” he said. “We have arranged temporary accommodation for the tenant of the property while we assess their future housing needs.”

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact Detectives at Lisburn Police Station on 0845 600 8000. 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.

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