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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Suspicious fire at Catholic church in Whitehead | Suspicious fire at Catholic church in Whitehead |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Police say a fire at a Catholic church in Whitehead, County Antrim, is being treated as suspicious. | Police say a fire at a Catholic church in Whitehead, County Antrim, is being treated as suspicious. |
| It was discovered in a boiler house at Our Lady of Lourdes Church on Victoria Avenue at about 03:40 GMT on Sunday. | It was discovered in a boiler house at Our Lady of Lourdes Church on Victoria Avenue at about 03:40 GMT on Sunday. |
| Police said that the boiler house had been damaged as a result of the fire. It is expected repairs could cost thousands of pounds. | Police said that the boiler house had been damaged as a result of the fire. It is expected repairs could cost thousands of pounds. |
| They have appealed for information about the incident. | They have appealed for information about the incident. |
| Parishoner Paddy Stewart said he was shocked that the church had been attacked. | |
| "We were doing a lot of preparation of vigil mass and Christmas morning mass and the damage is such that the electrics and the heating system are out," he said. | |
| "All the suppliers are closed until after Christmas, so we've had a lot of other parishioners and helpers from different churches in Whitehead, we are a close community, moving furniture from the church into the local primary school, and we'll have our mass there until we can get the church up and running again." | |
| East Antrim DUP MLA David Hilditch said that he was disappointed that there had been such an incident. | |
| "Up until now relations between the various sections of the community have been fairly good, I don't know what drove someone to do this but it cannot happen," he said. | |
| "You've the ongoing situation in regards to the union flag, generally the protests have been good natured and peaceful in Carrickfergus. | |
| "We've had a couple of blips, that's well known and reported in the national media, but generally it's been peaceable and we want to see that happening." | |
| Alliance East Antrim MLA Stewart Dickson has condemned the attack. | |
| "There can never be any justification for an attack on a place of worship. I know the local community will show their support and offer any help that is needed to repair any damage," he said. | |
| "I condemn this attack in the strongest possible manner. It has achieved nothing except to strengthen the resolve of a united church community in Whitehead. | |
| "With only two days until Christmas services, it will cause a lot of disruption and distress to the congregation." |