Arson at former school damages listed building

The fire at Duncreggan House, in the grounds of the old Foyle College, was set on Saturday evening

An arson attack at a former school in Londonderry has caused extensive damage to a listed building on the site.

The blaze engulfed part of the roof of Duncreggan House, a former Victorian-era villa which sits within the grounds of the old Foyle College.

More than 40 firefighters, along with seven fire appliances and two aerial units, were sent to the scene at Duncreggan Road shortly after 19:30 BST on Saturday.

Ulster University, which owns the land, said it was "very grateful to them for their rapid response and their significant efforts to bring it under control".

The blaze was extinguished shortly before 08:00 BST on Sunday.

The Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) has confirmed the fire was started deliberately.

The Duncreggan Road has now reopened to traffic.

'Historically significant building'

By Sunday morning, the extent of the fire damage to the roof could be seen

In a statement, a spokesperson for Ulster University said: "We are thankful that no injuries were reported, however extensive damage was caused to Duncreggan House, an historically significant building."

They added the university was working closely with the NIFRS and the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) to "understand the anticipated impact" of the fire.

Duncreggan House dates back to the 1860s when it was built as a family home for the shirt factory owner William Tillie.

The Scotsman was a partner in the renowned Tillie and Henderson factory which became one of the most successful shirt manufacturers in the world at that time.

Mr Tillie died in the house in 1904 and a few years later the building was taken over by Londonderry Girls' High School.

In 1976, the high school merged with Foyle College and the two campuses were divided between the Northland Road, which housed the junior school, and Duncreggan, which housed the senior school.

Duncreggan House was later renovated and converted into offices and meeting rooms for college staff.

Foyle College has since left the site, relocating to a new £23.5m home on the Limavady Road in 2018.

Duncreggan House has had B2 listed building status since 1979.

Buildings are awarded this status when they are considered to be of special interest due to architectural or historical significance.

Arsonists 'don't appreciate the history'

Veronica McLaughlin lives on Duncreggan Road close to the scene of the fire

Veronica McLaughlin, a resident on Duncreggan Road, told BBC News NI she had to close her windows because of the smoke.

"It was a bit frightening," she said, adding there had been previous instances of anti-social behaviour at the former school campus.

"Those responsible don't understand or appreciate the history behind this site," she said.

The former Foyle College site had been earmarked for a new indoor sports arena for Ulster University's Londonderry campus.

SDLP MLA Mark H Durkan said there are "big plans for this site"

Mark H Durkan, an assembly member for the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP), said: "There are big plans for this site and I'm confident there will be no delays because of this.

"A fire on this scale is incredibly dangerous."

Sinn Féin councillor Grace Uí Niallais condemned those behind the arson attack "which has caused significant damage to an historic building".

"I want to pay tribute to the teams of firefighters who worked to bring the blaze under control," she added.