'YOUNG KIDS COULD BE ARSONISTS'

The malicious blaze at Rathfern Way came just two weeks after young people stole a pensioner's bin and set it on fire in the middle of Knockenagh Avenue. And local residents say there have been several other incidents in recent weeks of children trying to set fire to people's bins and garden fences.

"The whole estate is in uproar over this. People in the area know there are certain kids - kids as young as 10 or 11 - running about the place doing this sort of thing and the police need to take action," a local community worker told the Times.

"This started off as kids thinking it was a bit of fun to set bins on fire, well it's not funny any more, they are putting people's lives at stake."

Deputy Mayor Tommy Kirkham said some residents believe that primary school age children could have been responsible for the fire last Thursday (January 27).

"This wasn't a one-off, there have been several incidents in the estate over the past few weeks where kids have been setting fire to people's bins. It has to stop now before someone is killed," he told the Times.