House destroyed in petrol bomb attack

Petrol bomb attack badly damaged house

A woman has escaped serious injury after her house was destroyed in a petrol bomb attack in Ballymena, County Antrim.

Police, who were patrolling the Harryville area of the town, came across the fire early on Thursday morning.

They managed to alert the woman, who escaped from the house.

She is suffering from the effects of breathing in smoke.

The Royal Ulster Constabulary said they had ruled out a sectarian motive for the attack.

A house next door, and another at nearby Paradise Avenue in the town, sustained minor damage when they were also attacked.

Later on Thursday, what appeared to be a pipe bomb was thrown through the window of house at Barra Drive in Ballykeel also in Ballymena.

Army bomb disposal officers were called and it turned out to be an elaborate hoax.