Police investigate store blaze
Four youths were being hunted by police today after an arson attack on a major electrical goods store.
The Curry's store in Bangor's Clandeboye Retail Park in Co Down was set on fire while shoppers and staff were still inside.
Extensive damage was caused to the store and its contents in the fire yesterday evening.
Detectives said they were treating the blaze as arson and wooden pallets at the rear of the store may have been set alight.
Maurice McCullough of the Fire and Rescue Service said the incident could have been much more serious but for the prompt action of the first fire crew on the scene.
"People could have been injured because there were people in the store at the time of the fire who would not have been noticed for a while at the rear of the premises."
The PSNI are trying to trace four youths seen in the area and detectives appealed for information about them.
One was said to be of stocky build, wearing a silver-coloured tracksuit, baseball cap and riding a silver coloured bicycle.
North Down Assembly member Alex Easton hit out at those responsible for the fire.
He said: "I wish to repudiate in the strongest possible terms those responsible for what I understand to have been pallets placed against the rear of the building and set alight. This is horrendous given the store was open at the time.
"One wonders at the mentality of those who set fire to an open retail building. The consequences of their actions which put lives at risk are to be condemned in the strongest terms."
The Democratic Unionist Party MLA said he hoped the police would be able to catch the "irresponsible criminals" responsible and put them before the courts.
He called on anyone who can assist the PSNI investigation to do so immediately.
