Two arson attacks within hours leave vehicles destroyed in Co Antrim

Residents in rural County Antrim have been left shaken after two suspected arson attacks within hours of each other destroyed multiple vehicles and damaged property over the weekend.

Police are investigating a series of incidents in the Moorfields area, including two fires targeting machinery and vehicles in Carnlea Road North, as well as a separate criminal damage incident in nearby Doagh.

The most recent attack occurred in the early hours of Monday morning when emergency services were called to reports of an ongoing break-in and a shed on fire.

Inspector McToal said police received a report at around 2.05am on Monday, June 22, of a break-in and a blaze involving a shed containing machinery in the Carnlea Road North area.

Officers attended alongside the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service, which extinguished the fire.

Two people were inside the property at the time and heard windows being smashed. While no injuries were reported, two rear windows of the house were damaged during the incident.

The homeowner managed to remove some vehicles from the shed before the fire took hold, but several others were destroyed.

Police are treating the incident as arson and have launched an investigation.

Second fire reported hours earlier

The overnight attack came less than 10 hours after another fire was reported at a site in the same area.

Police received a report at around 5.55pm on Sunday, June 21, that machinery had been set alight in Carnlea Road North. The fire is believed to have started at approximately 5.05pm.

Again, officers attended with firefighters, who brought the blaze under control.

Of the three vehicles at the location, two suffered damage, including a digger and an aggregate multi-screener.

The close proximity of the two incidents in both time and location has prompted a wider police investigation.

Separate criminal damage incident under investigation

Detectives are also examining a separate report of criminal damage linked to the same victim.

At around 2.25pm on Saturday, June 20, a car windscreen was smashed with a brick in the Templepatrick Road area of Doagh.

Police are investigating all three incidents and are appealing for anyone who may have witnessed suspicious activity to come forward.

Appeal for information

Inspector McToal said:

“This was the second arson attack in the area within a matter of hours.

“Our enquiries are ongoing into all of these incidents and we would appeal to anyone with any information which could assist, including CCTV, dash-cam or other footage, to contact us on 101, quoting reference number 118 of 22/06/26.”

Anyone with information can contact police on 101.

Reports can also be submitted online via the PSNI non-emergency reporting service at http://www.psni.police.uk/makeareport/.

Alternatively, information can be provided anonymously through Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or online at http://crimestoppers-uk.org/.

The investigation remains ongoing as police work to establish who was responsible for the attacks and whether the incidents are linked.