An arson attack which destroyed a Catholic family's dream of a new home in Co Derry was carried out by "hate-filled morons," Sinn Féin MP Martin McGuinness said today.
He condemned those who set alight a house being built near Desertmartin in an early morning incident which police believe was sectarian. Mr McGuinness branded those behind this and other recent attacks on the house "sectarian bigots".
The Mid Ulster MP, in whose constituency the attack occurred, said: "The dreams of a family looking forward to moving into a new home are shattered by the actions of hate-filled morons.
"These individuals or organisation although unrepresentative of unionism emanates from that community and this puts special responsibility on the public representatives of unionism to speak out in the strongest terms against them.
As the family came to terms with the latest attack, PSNI Acting Chief Inspector John Lindsay pledged his officers' support. "I can assure the householder on this occasion that we will give him the support that he needs to help him rebuild his home and rebuild his life in that area," he said.
Last month £5,000 sterling worth of damage was caused to the house when 12 windows were broken.
Mr McGuinness said there was clearly a very active loyalist paramilitary element at work in the area. There had also been several attacks aimed at intimidating Catholics from Magherafelt, Maghera and other areas in the constituency, he claimed, which unionist leaders needed to condemn.
PA