Two rescued from flat after arson attack

Two people had to be rescued after an overnight arson attack on a flat in Cookstown, County Tyrone, police have said.

A man in his 40s and a woman in her 30s were inside the property in Princess Avenue when an accelerant was poured through the letterbox on the front door and set alight.

Firefighters removed the pair from the building and put out the blaze. Another fire at an outbuilding close to the property was also extinguished.

The blaze was reported shortly after 00:50 BST on Sunday.

A spokesperson for the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service ( NIFRS) said the woman was taken out of a downstairs window, while the man was removed from the kitchen.

"The male and female were treated at the scene by colleagues from Northern Ireland Ambulance Service, then taken to hospital for treatment for smoke inhalation," said a police spokesperson.

"Enquiries are continuing to establish the circumstances and at this stage, the incident is being treated as deliberate ignition."