Derry Blaze 'Suspicious', Say Police

There has been a second suspicious fire within days in which a victim has been trapped.

This time the blaze was in Londonderry and, like the one in Co Down the previous night, it is being treated as suspicious, police have confirmed.

A man in his 40s was rescued by the fire service from the blaze at a property in the Ballymagroarty area of the city after they were called to the address at approximately 5am on Tuesday.

The victim was taken to hospital for the effects of breathing in smoke after he was taken from an upstairs bedroom after the fire broke out.

Police said it was thought flammable liquid had been poured through the letterbox and set alight and they are appealing for information on the blaze at Cavanagh Court.

They said the man was alone in the house in an upstairs bedroom when the fire broke out.

In a similar, but unrelated incident on Sunday, a woman in her 20s who jumped from a first-floor flat window to escape a fire has been left seriously ill in hospital.

The woman and her boyfriend both jumped out of the window of the flat at Bristol Park, Newtownards, at about 4.30am on Sunday.

Police believe it was also an arson attack as a scooter had been set alight in the hallway of the flats at the West Winds estate.

Nine people were forced to leave their homes and a number suffered from the effects of smoke inhalation.

(BMcC/KMcA)