A man and his teenage son are in a critical condition after a petrol bomb attack on their Co Tyrone home.
Ashley Houston (39) and his 19-year-old son, Jonny, were at their Church Hill Road home in the village of Caledon when a petrol bomb was thrown through a window after 8pm on Saturday.
The PSNI is treating the incident as one of attempted murder. Some nearby properties were also affected by the fire. Police sealed off the immediate area and a forensic examination was being carried out yesterday. Local representatives seemed unclear about the precise motive for the attack, but all referred to ongoing problems with anti-social activity in the normally quiet village.
Sinn Féin's Michelle Gildernew, the local MP, said: "While the exact details are unclear no one should think that this is the way to deal with any issues within the village. There is a challenge for the PSNI to work constructively with the local community to ensure that this type of attack never happens again."
Tom Elliott, an Ulster Unionist Assembly member for the area, said: "During the last number of years there has been an increasing number of anti-social elements within the village. "There is a real need for a concentrated effort from the police and indeed the entire community to eradicate this scourge within society."
DUP Assembly member and local peer Lord Maurice Morrow said: "The Caledon community has seen far too much of this sort of activity in the last few years and concerns which have been raised will have to be addressed."
The Tyrone incident followed another petrol bomb attack in Co Antrim at an address used by six foreign nationals. Bricks and a petrol bomb were thrown at the house on Station Road, in Cullybackey, which is a short distance from Ballymena.
A downstairs window was broken and some scorch damage was caused to an outside wall. No one was hurt in the incident which the police are believed to be treating as a racist crime.
Police have also charged a man following another arson attempt on an Orange hall in Co Armagh.
A 24-year-old is facing charges relating to criminal damage, burglary and attempted arson.