While a man has been taken to hospital after being rescued from a house fire in Ballymena, an earlier blaze - in Belfast - is now being treated as malicious.

The Fire and Rescue Service were called to a property on Ballymena's Larne Road late on Tuesday night.

However, a woman in the house had managed to escape by the time officers arrived, but one person was still unaccounted for.

Commander Martin McDonald said on arrival they "found a well developed fire and were informed that there was someone trapped inside".

He continued: "A crew wearing breathing apparatus, taking a hose reel with them, entered the house and very quickly found an unconscious male casualty on the floor in the living room at the rear of the house.

"They were able to rescue the casualty and bring him to open air where they administered first aid and oxygen until the arrival of paramedics at the scene."

Meanwhile, a weekend fire in the grounds of an east Belfast school is now being treated as arson.

The blaze at two disused buildings at Cabin Hill School off the Upper Newtownards Road was discovered shortly before 1am.

No-one was injured but the derelict buildings were badly damaged.

Six fire appliances were called in initially to deal with the outbreak. This was later reduced to three appliances, including an aerial appliance, according to the Fire and Rescue Service.

The PSNI said initial inquiries suggested the blaze was started maliciously.

East Belfast DUP MLA Robin Newton has said this scandalous action must be totally condemned.

"This is the third attempt to burn down an East Belfast school and follows on from a recent arson attack on Orangefield High School and some time ago an extensive fire at Strandtown Primary School.

"There is a considerable amount of low-level vandalism in the east of the city but this increased level of senseless vandalism is extremely worrying.

"Cabin Hill School has a long history of providing an excellent education for pupils. In the current political education debate this school has an important part to play in offering education choice in East Belfast.

"Those who carry out such stupid and pointless acts of vandalism have nothing to offer their community and must be caught and punished before the vandalism escalates," the MLA said.

He also noted that he was calling on anyone who has information to contact the PSNI so that those who are responsible can be brought before the courts.

(BMcC)