Arson attack on nursery school

A nursery school in north Belfast has been closed after it was damaged in an arson attack.

Vandals got through the roof of Holy Cross nursery school in Ardoyne on Sunday and lit a number of fires inside the building.

The nursery is linked to the Catholic girls' school which was the target of loyalist protests in 2001.

However, parish priest Father Aidan Troy said he did not believe that the attack was sectarian.

"I think it would be very irresponsible of me not to offer real caution in seeing this as a sectarian attack. I don't see it as such at this stage," he said.

"I am just hoping that some arrangements can be made later in the week. But it is an awful tragedy, especially for children, that there will be no nursery school operating in Holy Cross.

"We will be extremely interested in finding out who was responsible for this."