Major deliberate fire at old mill complex extinguished

Firefighters have extinguished a deliberate blaze at a building in an old mill complex in County Londonderry.

The Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) were alerted to the fire on the Kilrea Road at Upperlands near Maghera at 09:06 GMT on Wednesday.

The incident was dealt with by 15:17 GMT and the cause is believed to be "deliberate ignition," the NIFRS said.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said the fire service had advised asbestos was present in the building and local residents were asked to keep their windows and doors shut.

Over 50 firefighters and personnel were involved in tackling the blaze, as well as numerous appliances including two water tankers and an aerial appliance.

The building is located on the same site as a textile plant that went on fire in 2017 - William Clark and Sons - which traces its history back to 1736.

Ulster Architectural Heritage said this is a "further loss of an important part" of the B1 listed textile factory complex.

"This emphasises the importance of securing our industrial built heritage," a spokesman said.