Ulster Unionist representatives have condemned an overnight arson attack in the County Armagh village of Richhill in which a car was set alight and a house was destroyed, causing a family to flee for their lives.
Danny Kennedy said:
“I strongly condemn this disgraceful incident which caused a very serious threat to life. This morning I visited the house and spoke to the family. They are quite understandably shocked and distressed and realise just how close they came to a tragedy.
“This is a quiet residential village which is in complete shock this morning. I am thankful that the occupants of the house escaped without injury because having seen the damage for myself, it is clear that we could easily have been dealing with fatalities today.
“I would appeal to anyone with any scrap of information regarding this incident to contact the Police immediately. Whoever was responsible for this incident should not be protected.”
Councillor Sam Nicholson said:
“I simply cannot comprehend the mentality of anyone who would deliberately push a car against a house and set it alight. Whoever was responsible clearly had no thought for safety of the people inside the house who could very easily have been killed.
“Someone knows who was responsible for this. I would appeal to them or anyone who saw any suspicious vicinity of the Elm Park area of Richhill before 05:30 this morning, to contact the Police and ensure that whoever was responsible for this shocking incident is brought before the courts and made to face the full force of the law.”