PICTURES : MARK JAMIESON
A 17 week old Yorkshire Terrier has been hailed a hero by their owners Mr and Mrs Peters from Coleraine. The couple have thanked their pet for raising the alarm after their home was attacked by arsonists in the Millburn Road area of Coleraine.
Yvonne Peters said they were alerted to the blaze due to letting Holly their Yorkshire Terrier out into the back garden to answer a call of nature and they went to watch television. Mrs Peters went on to say “But all of a sudden we heard Holly barking and we knew that something was wrong. We went out to see what was going on and saw that that a fire was taking hold of our shed. We immediately phoned for the fire services and got out of the house as fast as we could with Holly.”
The shed was completely gutted in the attack and fire crews managed to get the blaze under control before it reached a gas tank. The blaze scorched a wall of the house and there was smoke damage to the kitchen.
Mrs Peters Said “If Holly hadn’t been barking and made us realise there was a fire we could have lost the house”
Police are currently investigating the arson attack which is the third in the area in recent weeks within the area. A police spokesperson said that they are trying to establish if the the three attacks are linked.
A pensive Yvonne Peters inspects the damage of the burnt out shed at their Coleraine home .PICTURE MARK JAMIESON
The family has praised the Northern Ireland Fire Service for their rapid response and professionalism in tackling the blaze.
