Pigeon owner 'devastated' by fire

A County Down pigeon fancier who lost almost 100 birds in a suspicious fire has said he is devastated.

The blaze at Osbourne Drive in Shrigley near Killyleagh was discovered in the early hours of Saturday morning.

"It's a long time since I had tears in my eyes - I think the last time I was like this was when my father died," owner Hugh McAllister said.

"Just to see my pigeons struggling and I couldn't do anything for them, it's just terrible, absolutely terrible."

Four sheds belonging to a group of pigeon fanciers were destroyed, causing thousands of pounds of damage and killing a total of approximately 160 birds.

Mr McAllister said he did not know whether he could continue in the sport.

"I don't know whether to rebuild these sheds or not, it's just an ongoing problem I'm having here and I don't know whether it's worth my while building them," he said.

"I haven't the money to rebuild them, because there's about £2,000 or £3,000 worth of pigeon sheds here.

"I've some pigeons coming home today from a race and they've gone in with other fanciers, they're looking after them for me, but all I have left, is just charred remains."

Councillor William Walker said the incident was "a total scandal".

"When I heard the extent of what had happened, I was totally appalled," the DUP representative said.

Police have appealed to anyone with information about the fire to contact them in Downpatrick.