Fatal hotel fire 'malicious'

Mr McCloskey served in the Fire Brigade for 25 years

A fire at a hotel in County Londonderry in which a firefighter was fatally injured is being treated as malicious.

Part-time firefighter Joe McCloskey suffered extensive burns during the incident at the Gorteen House Hotel in Limavady on Saturday.

The father-of-five died in hospital on Sunday from injuries sustained after falling through the roof of a storeroom at the hotel.

Mr McCloskey was on one of six engines which were called to the hotel to put out a fire in a store.

The Dungiven man's body is due to be released on Tuesday following a post mortem and his funeral will take place on Thursday.

Mr McCloskey had served for 25 years in the Fire Brigade.

The 50-year-old was the first firefighter to be killed on duty in Northern Ireland in almost 10 years.

On Monday, the police appealed for information from anyone who was in the area who may have seen how the fire started.

They are also anxious to speak to patrons of Jenson's nightclub at the hotel.

Trained counsellors have been brought in to help five of Mr McCloskey's colleagues who sustained minor injuries injured trying to rescue him.

They were treated in hospital for the effects of breathing in smoke but were all later released.