Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)

Family’s dog raises alarm at break-in

Pair escape blaze started in shed

- BY JILLY BEATTIE BY JILLY BEATTIE

A WOMAN has revealed how the family dog alerted her to a creeper burglar in her son’s bedroom.

Sally Black and her husband Ricky were woken by the pet growling at a man who had broken into their Belfast home in the early hours of yesterday.

He had worked his way through the rooms downstairs before moving upstairs and into her bedroom and her son’s.

Sally said: “Luckily the dog scared him off but it has left me feeling sick to the stomach.

”He went through every cupboard in the living room and put a laptop and Bose headphones in a plastic bag.

“Then he went up to the top floor spare room and took my grandson’s Xbox One and controller­s.

“We found the laptop and headphones in a bag on the ground floor he didn’t have time to lift them.

“It’s the grandson’s Xbox that hurts most somehow.

“It’s like this housebreak­er has done this to our grandson.”

TWO brothers have been left homeless after a fire in a shed spread to their flats.

Geoffrey Street, 40, and 32-year-old Peter Bradley escaped unharmed in the incident in Derry on Saturday afternoon.

But their homes, one on the ground floor, the other on the first floor in Carnhill, were both gutted.

The men’s aunt Vivienne Mcbride told the Mirror: “We are so grateful Geoff and Peter are safe but now they have literally what they stand up in – they have lost everything else. With the shops closed now because of coronaviru­s, we have no idea where to get some clothes for them.

“Situations like this bring out the best in people and my neighbours were fantastic.

“I was in such a panic when I realised the fire was at my nephews’ flats.

“I was terrified I was going to be told these people I love were dead. Thank

DERRY YESTERDAY

God they are OK after escaping in good time.

“Geoff ’s neighbours who alerted them to the fire and helped them escape.

“And we want to thank the Fire Service and the Ambulance Service who were amazing having to deal with this in the middle of a national crisis.

“The Housing Executive have been amazing and we’ve been told they will have permanent accommodat­ion for the boys as soon as Monday. I believe the fire started in a shed at the front of the downstairs property and it had caused a crisis but we’ve been heartened by the acts of human kindness that we’ve seen and received.

“Now we need to try to get some clothes for Geoff and Peter who are 4XL and 3XL so if anyone knows where we could get some clothes we’d be very grateful.”

If you can help the brothers please message Belfast Live’s Facebook page or email irish@mgn.co.uk.

 ??  ?? LEFT IN RUINS Aftermath of fire in Derry on Saturday
DEVASTATED Surveying the fire damage
LEFT IN RUINS Aftermath of fire in Derry on Saturday DEVASTATED Surveying the fire damage
 ??  ?? BURGLARY Belfast home
BURGLARY Belfast home

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