Co Antrim shop latest victim in spate of arsons

A Co Antrim business was damaged in a suspicious fire in the early hours of this morning. It is the latest in a series of suspected arson attacks on large retail outlets across Northern Ireland this week.

The Harry Corry shop on Church St, Ballymena was damaged by the fire which was discovered after a passing police patrol saw smoke shortly after 3 a.m.

"The fire brigade was immediately called as a result only minor damage was caused," a police spokeswoman said.

As firefighters fought the blaze, believed to have been caused by two incendiary devices, a third device ignited. No-one was injured, but brigade chiefs said the crew had been put in danger.

Fire station officer Mr Mark Beresford hit said: "It makes me sad that we have come back to this, and to a degree angry at the fact that this has started to happen again.

"But the crews and the officers are all well trained to deal with this type of incident and they know how to minimise the risk to their personnel." Police believe dissident republicans may be behind the attacks in an effort  to cause major disruption in the run-up to Christmas.

Last night, police asked business owners in Ballymena and in Magherafelt and Mahera, Co Derry to check their premises. "This is following reports that a number of devices had been planted in retail premises," the spokeswoman added.

Police also warned key holders in Newry, Co Down to do the same following a telephone warning that "incendiary-type devices" had been left in shops.

It was confirmed yesterday that a blaze at the B&Q superstore at the Sprucefield retail park in Lisburn, Co Antrim, was caused by an incendiary bomb.

It took more than 100 firefighters several hours to get the blaze on Sunday night, which started in the rugs department, under control. The rest of the premises, which opened earlier this year, was damaged by smoke and water from the sprinkler system.

A partially exploded incendiary bomb was discovered by staff in a Homebase DIY store in Derry on Monday night. Only minor damage was caused to the shop on the Crescent Link retail park.

Elsewhere, a fire that caused £100,000 sterling damage to a carpet store at another retail park in Derry on Sunday morning is also believed to be the result of arson, although forensic tests have so far proved inconclusive.

Another device was found in a sports shop in Newry, Co Down, on Saturday night.

Early yesterday morning a suspected firebomb attack saw a blaze break out in the stationery section of the Poundstretcher shop in Newtownabbey, on the outskirts of north Belfast, shortly before midnight.

As fire crews arrived to fight the blaze, it threatened to spread to nearby electrical premises.