Two rescued from flat after arson attack

Two people had to be rescued after an overnight arson attack on a flat in Cookstown, County Tyrone, police have said.

A man in his 40s and a woman in her 30s were inside the property in Princess Avenue when an accelerant was poured through the letterbox on the front door and set alight on Sunday.

Firefighters removed the pair from the building and put out the blaze. Another fire at an outbuilding close to the property was also extinguished.

The Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) said crews rescued the woman from a window ledge using a ladder.

Thermal imaging was also used to search the flat for the man, who was eventually located in the kitchen.

The blaze was reported shortly after 00:50 BST on Sunday and crews were dispatched from Cookstown, Dungannon and Magherafelt.

"The male and female were treated at the scene by colleagues from Northern Ireland Ambulance Service, then taken to hospital for treatment for smoke inhalation," said a police spokesperson.

"Enquiries are continuing to establish the circumstances and at this stage, the incident is being treated as deliberate ignition."

There was a separate arson attack in Beechfield Manor, Aghalee, in County Antrim.

Two vehicles were set alight and destroyed outside a property in the area sometime between 01:20 BST and 01:50.

A nearby property and garage were also damaged.

Firefighters extinguished the blaze.