Rosemount arsonists could have killed
A community worker in Rosemount has said people could have been killed after a suspected racially motivated arson attack on a Chinese takeaway in the area.
Tommy McCourt from the Rosemount Resource Centre was speaking after an incident in which teenagers allegedly set fire to a bin close to gas cylinders at the rear of the takeaway in the Rosemount Factory complex. The incident occurred in the early hours of Thursday morning after a group of teenagers racially abused the owner.
Mr McCourt said; "Over the past number of weeks a few teenagers have been engaged in ongoing harassment of the takeaway owners ,including the use of offensive racist remarks.
"As the owner closed his shop at 11.30pm on Wednesday he noticed four teenagers, two boys and two girls standing at the factory corner. The girls had been involved in the previous confrontation and this group began making racist remarks. The owner ignored them and having secured his premises he left the area.
"The next day when the owners returned to work they realised that the back gate had been forced, and on entering the yard saw the burned remains of their week's rubbish. No one had reported seeing the fire during the night, however footage from a nearby security camera shows the first flames appearing at 12.15am."
Condemning the incident, Mr. McCort said the fire could have resulted in a tragedy.
"Whether those who set this fire realise it or not the burning bin was right next to six gas cylinders. Because the yard was fenced in it was concealed from the sight of those passing by outside.
"We had a situation here in the Rosemount area last Wednesday night where a potentially lethal explosion, which could have killed innocent local people, could have occurred at any time during the night," he explained.
He also stressed that the people of Rosemount will not tolerate racism. "Rosemount Resource Centre wants to make it clear that racist or abusive behaviour towards anyone is not acceptable. People who live or work in our community deserve to be treated with respect and allowed to do so in peace.
"Mindless, destructive behaviour will only lead to tragedy and we are asking anyone who has information or who can influence those involved to contact us at the Centre," he said.
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Saturday 04 February 2012
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