The RUC are investigating the cause of a fire which destroyed a Catholic church in Belfast early this morning.
An RUC spokesman said that six units of the Fire Brigade were needed to fight the blaze at St Bernard’s Chapel on the Antrim Road, which started at around 4 am.
The blaze was stopped from spreading to an adjacent primary and nursery school complex.
The spokesman said that it may be some time before the cause of the fire is known, and that the scene would be examined later today.
There were no reports of injuries.
Parish priest Father Daniel White said that the chapel would be rebuilt.
"We hope it was an accidental fire and there was no malicious intent involved. That would be too much to take," he said.
Last week a Presbyterian church near Portadown, Co Armagh, burned down.
