The Sinn Fein MP for Mid-Ulster, Martin McGuinness, has paid tribute to the emergency services after young people who were in the Clubland nightclub in Cookstown had to be evacuated because of a serious blaze beside the venue.

More than 500 teenagers had to leave the nightclub in Cookstown, when the fire on Saturday night was deliberately set at around 10pm.

Six fire appliances were used to bring under control the blaze, which had spread to an oil tank at the Clubland nightclub and early indications are that the fire was started deliberately.

Stormont Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness said he was relieved that no one was injured: "Make no mistake about it, had it not been for the prompt action of the emergency services and those people in the nightclub, we could have been dealing with a major incident.

"Like most people, I wonder at the mentality or motivation of someone setting a fire beside a club containing over 500 young people," he continued.

"It seems from early indications that the fire beside Clubland was started deliberately.

"Make no mistake about it had it not been for the prompt action of the emergency services and those people in the nightclub we could have been dealing with a major incident.

"Like most people I wonder at the mentality or motivation of someone setting a fire beside a club containing over 500 young people.

"It is now up to the PSNI to investigate the circumstances surrounding this incident.

"I am thankful that nobody was injured and all the young people affected were able to be evacuated safely."

(BMcC/GK)