{"id":36317,"date":"2025-04-20T18:59:10","date_gmt":"2025-04-20T18:59:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/36317\/"},"modified":"2025-04-20T18:59:10","modified_gmt":"2025-04-20T18:59:10","slug":"sion-mills-calls-for-greater-police-presence-after-latest-fire-at-co-tyrone-mill","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/36317\/","title":{"rendered":"Sion Mills: Calls for greater police presence after latest fire at Co Tyrone mill"},"content":{"rendered":"

The most recent fire broke out<\/a> at Herdman\u2019s Mill near Sion Mills on Saturday evening.<\/p>\n

The NI Fire and Rescue Service said 36 personnel including six appliances along with an aerial appliance attended the incident.<\/p>\n

During the evening, firefighters also warned local residents to keep their windows and doors closed and avoid the area in a bid to help support the firefighting operation.<\/p>\n

In an update, NIFRS confirmed the blaze was brought under control by their crews on Saturday evening.<\/p>\n

While the circumstances behind last night\u2019s blaze have yet to be formally established, it is understood firefighters are currently treating the incident as \u201cdeliberate ignition\u201d.<\/p>\n

The site has been a subject of repeated arson attacks over recent years, including a significant deliberate blaze started in 2018 which was investigated by police at the time.<\/p>\n

One local politician has called for a greater police presence in the area around the mill \u2013 which ceased production back in 2004 \u2013 to deter political vandals who may target the site.<\/p>\n

Speaking to the Belfast Telegraph, DUP politician Keith Kerrigan said: “It was sorted out by the fire service yesterday, but again, it is disappointing to see another fire.<\/p>\n

“There have been so many fires which have been lit purposely there over years.<\/p>\n

“To have such a picturesque and historic village such as Sion Mills, where there is so much character to it, be again be subjected to vandalism, it is disappointing.<\/p>\n

\"Alderman<\/p>\n

Alderman Keith Kerrigan<\/p>\n

“It would be better to have an increase in the police presence, particularly in that area. It would do no harm<\/p>\n

“A joint up approach with the PSNI, the community safety wardens, the PCSP and the property owners would be needed to provide adequate and appropriate security.”<\/p>\n

Local SDLP MLA Daniel McCrossan said he was concerned by the latest blaze.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is disappointing to witness Herdman\u2019s Mill engulfed in flames once again,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cConsidering the building’s precarious state following the previous fire, I worry about the future of these historical structures.\u201d<\/p>\n

The PSNI has been contacted.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

The Herdman’s Mill building in Sion Mills in Co Tyrone-badly damaged after a previous fire. Photo: TrevorMcBride<\/p>\n

Built in 1835 by James George and John Herdman from Belfast, Herdman\u2019s Mill once employed more than 1,000 staff.<\/p>\n

It stopped spinning linen in 2004 and the company that owned the mill went into receivership in 2011.<\/p>\n

The site was bought by the late lottery winner Margaret Loughrey for \u00a31m in 2014.<\/p>\n

When she bought it, the site had been the scene of several fires \u2014 a problem that continued after the purchase.<\/p>\n

Despite hopes of a much-needed cash investment by Ms Loughrey, relations with the sporting groups who used the facilities in the grounds of the mill quickly soured.<\/p>\n

\"Firefighters<\/p>\n

Firefighters battling the blaze at Herman\u2019s Mill, Sion Mills. Photo Credit: NIFRS Facebook<\/p>\n

Watch: PSNI launch their Operation Lifesaver Campaign <\/p>\n

In September 2014, the lottery winner became embroiled in a row with Sion Mills Cricket Club, founded by the Herdman family in 1864, after locking them out of their pitch on the 60-acre grounds.<\/p>\n

In 2016, a court ordered her to hand over part of the complex to the Sion Mills Buildings Preservation Trust because of deterioration.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The most recent fire broke out at Herdman\u2019s Mill near Sion Mills on Saturday evening. The NI Fire…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":36318,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5011],"tags":[924,1144,1610,1210,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-36317","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-northern-ireland","8":"tag-democratic-unionist-party","9":"tag-northern-ireland","10":"tag-police-service-of-northern-ireland","11":"tag-tyrone-news","12":"tag-uk","13":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/114371832374615059","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36317","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=36317"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36317\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/36318"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36317"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=36317"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=36317"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}