Arson attack on Castlereagh home

A family have escaped injury following an arson attack on their east Belfast home in the early hours of this morning.

The man, his 12-year-old daughter and his seven-year-old son, were asleep in their home in the Clonduff estate in Castlereagh at around 3.30am, when they were awoken by a smoke alarm.

The man managed to extinguish the flames before extensive damage was caused to the rest of the property, however the hall sustained severe smoke damage.

A spokesperson for the PSNI said that police believed that a flammable liquid had been poured through the letterbox and set on fire.

At this stage, police are not treating the attack as sectarian, and have appealed for anyone who may have witnessed the incident, or who may have any information in relation to it, to contact them on 0845 600 8000, or anonymously on the Crimestoppers number on 0800 555 111.

(EF/KMcA)