24/08/2005

Four vehicles destroyed in council yard fire

Four vehicles have been destroyed following an arson attack on a council yard in Co Antrim on Tuesday.

Three vans and a digger caught fire at the Market Road council yard in Ballymena, but firefighters managed to prevent the fire from spreading to nearby flats.

Last night's attack is the second such incident on a council yard in Northern Ireland in a matter of days.

On Monday at a Derry City Council depot a fire caused damage estimated to be in excess of £1 million.

Fire crews were called to the Pennyburn Industrial Estate at about 1am on Monday were they found seven road cleansing vehicles and other motorised machinery on fire.

Such was the extent of the blaze that fire crews feared the roof would collapse however that failed to materialise.

An investigation into the cause of the fire is under way.

(MB/SP)

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