The head of a cancer charity says its retail shop and staff have been “gutted” by an overnight arson attack that will leave the building out of action for six months.
A man in his fifties has been arrested as the PSNI investigate the overnight arson on the Action Cancer charity shop on Market Street in Bangor.
Action Cancer chief executive Gareth Kirk said the shop’s manager and 10 volunteers are “totally gutted”.
“It’s just very sad that as a charity trying to help people that this is what we have to deal with,” Mr Kirk told The Irish News.
“This is a charity shop that we use to sell clothes but we also offer screenings, mental health services and other services to those affected by cancer.
“This will now impact on our ability to help those people and the services that we offer.”
Staff were first alerted to a fire at the property at around 3.30am.
“We understand a person attempted to gain access to other business premises in the area and they eventually gained access to our shop,” Mr Kirk addded.
“The fire started there internally and the shop is now completely gutted. I would say it will take a minimum of six months work to allow us to reopen again.
“We have a manager and 10 volunteers and that work there and they are just all gutted, it’s a great pity that they no longer have a shop to come into.
“However, our logo is the mythical phoenix, and like the phoenix we will rise from the ashes at some point in the future.”
It was reported that the fire had broken out at around 4am on Friday. Substantial damage was caused. It was extinguished by the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service at around 5.40am.
Seven fire appliances were in attendance at the incident, which the PSNI is treating as arson.
A man in his fifties was arrested a short time later and police said he remained in custody on Friday morning.
Police said a window had been smashed on a door of a second business close by.
