Strathfoyle: Play park arson attack 'sickening', says mother
An arson attack on a play park has been condemned as "sickening" by a mother who campaigned for it to be adapted for use by disabled children.Claire McGill, a mother-of-three, said she was "shocked and sickened" after arsonists set fire to equipment at the play park in Strathfoyle, County Londonderry, on Wednesday evening.Her daughter, Sianon, who is wheelchair-user with special needs, is among the children who use the park.The police confirmed that the fire on Wednesday night is being treated as arson.
The play park is a popular spot for young families in the area, following years of campaigning by residents' groups for the facility.Residents, including Claire McGill, had successfully campaigned for disabled-friendly play equipment to be installed in 2022, after it was not included in the original plans."It's just heartbreaking as a mum, because my kids, like many others, use the park regularly," she said."I have a daughter with special needs, and all my kids use the park — it's a place we all go."It's the kids across the whole area who are going to suffer from this sort of thing."She said the attack was especially disappointing as it had been carried out in the run-up to summer."This is meant to be a safe place for them to have fun. It's sad that this has happened and it's a shame for all the kids of Strathfoyle."
The Northern Ireland Fire Service (NIFRS) said they were called to reports of a slide on fire at the park in the Beechwood Park area of Strathfoyle. They also confirmed it had been started deliberately.
The SDLP MLA Mark H Durkan condemned it as an attack on the local community.He also thanked firefighters whose swift response helped to limit the extent of the damage, and urged anyone with information to contact the police."It's been so busy the last couple of weeks with the weather being so good," Durkan told BBC Radio Foyle's North West Today programme. "This park in Strathfoyle was hard fought for and it has been much-loved for many years."He said it "defies belief" that anyone would consider it acceptable or tolerable to set part of it on fire.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
2 hours ago
- The Sun
Police released my abusive ex – hours later he burned down my house as I slept but that wasn't the biggest tragedy
WHEN Louise Simpson walks past the family home where she raised her son it isn't nostalgia that she feels but despair. It was the sight of one of the most harrowing events of her life and one that saw Louise lose not only dozens of sentimental memories but also her beloved pet dog. 8 8 8 Her violent ex, Adrian West, who was caught attacking her home on her doorbell camera returned hours after being released by police to burn it down as she slept. West had subjected Louise to months of violent attacks including strangling, punching and kicking. She finally kicked him out of her house in Crawley, Sussex, but the 61-year-old returned and smashed her doorbell camera using a rock. Louise, 53, called the police and West spent a night in the cells before being released without charge the following day. But later that day he returned to the property and started a fire in the porch which quickly engulfed the house. Louise - who was taking a nap at the time - was woken by neighbours and scrambled to escape as her bedroom was filled with thick black smoke. But her beloved British Bulldog Peggy was frozen in terror under the bed - and Louise was forced to abandon her in order to save her own life. West has now been jailed for six years after pleading guilty to arson and a string of assaults on Louise. She is now campaigning for a change in the law to consider companion animals as sentient beings rather than property as they are currently seen. Reliving the arrest, Louise says: 'The police came out and arrested him. "I was sobbing, saying: 'Whatever happens, I just don't want him to be able to come near me again'. So he was kept in custody overnight. 'They called me about 10.45am the next morning and said that he was going to be released with no further action. 'I said: 'Well, what do I do? He's going to come back.' And they said they can't do anything unless he does something more. "They genuinely seemed to be more worried about how abusive he'd been to the arresting officers the day before.' Louise called police on September 13 last year when a drunk West tried to smash her door and Ring doorbell camera with a rock. She wouldn't open the door and called the police. He was arrested on suspicion of criminal damage and held overnight at a local police station. Louise was told they could not take further action because she had not signed the witness statement she had provided. She says: "At the time I didn't particularly want to get him in too much trouble, I thought he isn't getting any younger and all I wanted was for him to just leave me alone. 8 8 8 "I asked the police that whatever happened could they please just warn him about coming back to my house again" Fearing that West would return to her house the following day, she blocked the front door with a toolbox and stockpiled food for a few days. She was 'shattered' and laid down for a nap. A heavy sleeper, she awoke at 3.16pm to her neighbours raising the alarm that her house was on fire. Fire forensics later told Louise they believe he used white spirit as an accelerant. Three-year-old Peggy hid under the bed and was too heavy for Louise to drag her out. "If she decided she wasn't going to move, you could not move her," Louise says. "I was desperately trying, but I couldn't breathe, so I ran down the stairs.' Louise was able to pull the toolbox out of the way but once outside she ran back in in a second attempt to rescue Peggy. "I was trying to cover my mouth with my hands and putting my T-shirt over my mouth but because the smoke was so thick I couldn't breathe,' she says. 'My neighbours were all telling me to get out.' Firefighters rescued Peggy from the house but were unable to resuscitate her. Louise stayed with her son Connor, 28, after the fire. She says: 'For about four or five days, I couldn't eat. I just laid on the sofa. I didn't wash, didn't brush my teeth. 'I was just crying non-stop, I couldn't take it all in.' She now stays between her Connor's house and a friend's in nearby Crawley. The council offered her alternative accommodation but she would prefer to move back into her house once it is repaired in about a year. She says: 'I've lived in that home for 28 years. I raised my son there. I've got good memories there as well.' Her possessions suffered fire, smoke or water damage. Louise lost personal photos, her mum's ashes, a hairbrush which had her mum's hair still in it, an elephant made for her by her daughter-in-law out of her mum's clothes and Connor's baby clothes she was saving for her grandchildren. West, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty at Lewes Crown Court to arson with intent, criminal damage, non-fatal strangulation, common assault and two counts of actual bodily harm on May 2. He was sentenced to six years and three months in jail. Louise is upset that Peggy's death was not considered in the sentencing. She wants offenders to be punished for killing companion animals like dogs and cats. She adds: 'Peggy's life was given as much value as a bookcase. 'She was my absolute world. 'What I used to go through with him, she was the one constant that was there by my side; my best friend.' A spokesman for Sussex Police said: "West was arrested on 13 September 2024 on suspicion of criminal damage and spent the night in custody. 'He was released without charge as the victim did not wish to sign a statement at the time." The Ministry of Justice says it has no plans to change the law. 8 8
BBC News
10 hours ago
- BBC News
Home Office raids Titanic Loft Lines apartments as part of immigration enforcement
The Home Office has arrested almost 150 people during immigration enforcement raids at workplaces across Northern Ireland since July 2024, new figures News NI understands 36 people were arrested at the Loft Lines complex in the Titanic Quarter in Graham Group is one of the main building contractors on the is understood that those arrested did not work for the News NI put a number of questions to the Graham Group about the raid but a spokesperson said they would not be issuing any response. Figures released by the Home Office show that between 5 July 2024 and 31 May 2025, 113 visits resulted in 148 arrests. This marked a 48% rise compared to the year department said it was part of "a drive to combat illegal working" with a particular focus on tackling employers facilitating illegal working, often subjecting migrants to squalid conditions and illegal working hours below minimum nail bars and construction sites have been among the thousands of businesses targeted. Minister for Border Security and Asylum, Dame Angela Eagle, said the government was "committed to tackling illegal working as we intensify our enforcement efforts to disrupt organised immigration networks at every level"."There must be no hiding place from the law and these figures demonstrate our determination to curb immigration offending and disrupt unscrupulous employers," she added."Under our Plan for Change, we are laser focused on fixing our immigration system and securing our borders once and for all." BBC News NI understands that a major co-ordinated operation reported in March, took place at the Loft Lines ranged from breaching visa conditions to illegal entry in the UK with no permission to Lines is a three-block apartment development located at Queen's Island in the docks area of the city, on land which used to form part of the Harland and Wolff majority of the 778 apartments will be privately owned and rented out to tenants, but up to 20% of the properties will be constructed as social, affordable homes. Developers The lead developers of the site are Lacuna Developments and Watkin Jones Group PLC, while Graham Group are leading on Jones PLC declined to Developments have been approached for comment by BBC News development has previously been criticised for blocking the view of Belfast's Titanic museum as the apartments are being built in front of News NI understands that 30 of the individuals arrested elected to leave the UK have been placed on immigration bail and are now required to report regularly to the Home Office.A 16-year-old boy was also being supported by local individual arrested on suspicion of immigration offences has been bailed pending further investigation.
BBC News
13 hours ago
- BBC News
Slough man charged with terror offences and arson attacks
A man has been charged with terrorism offences, as well as arson attacks on two leisure venues and a bomb Akhtar is accused of one count of preparing terrorist acts and one of possessing information that could be used for an arson charges relate to incidents in May at Salt Hill Activity Centre in Slough, Berkshire, and Slough Ice Arena, police 20-year-old, of Cress Road in the town, is due to appear before Westminster magistrates on Saturday. The activity centre, which includes trampolining and bowling facilities, was allegedly attacked on 31 incident at Slough Ice Arena is said to have occurred on 14 May.A bomb hoax was directed at an Asda supermarket in Telford Drive on 9 May, Counter Terrorism Policing South East Valley Police said extra patrols would be deployed in Slough to reassure the community. You can follow BBC Berkshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
