Londonderry: No injuries in Strathfoyle fire a miracle, says pensioner

A pensioner who helped evacuate houses in Strathfoyle in Londonderry after an arson attack has said "it's a miracle someone wasn't injured or worse".

A caravan was set alight at the back of a house in Stradowen Drive in Strathfoyle after 05:00 BST on Wednesday, police said.

It was burnt to the ground and a car, fences and an oil tank were also badly damaged.

No one was injured and police sad a motive for the attack is unclear.

Liam Smyth, 75, who lives beside the house targeted said he "woke up to a seriously loud bang".

"I was in bed and jumped up when I heard the noise," he told BBC Radio Foyle's North West Today programme.

"I looked out the window and the whole back street and garden was in flames.

"The caravan is just ashes on the ground now but the big worry was the oil tank.

"The front of the tank is melted and the police said there could have been a massive fire ball within seconds."

'An awful mess'

Mr Smyth helped, along with other residents, to evacuate homes.

"There are six children who live on either side of me. Everyone is so, so lucky and we just had to make sure everyone was out on the street.

"We were even moved back because there were gas cylinders inside the caravan too.

"It's an awful mess that's been left and people left in fear. Those who did it need to catch themselves on."

A Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) spokesperson said it is "incredibly fortunate that the fire didn't spread further and that no one was injured, given how close the caravan was to houses".

They are treating the fire as arson.