Firefighters battle Derry blaze

More than 30 firefighters and six appliances were tonight battling a fire at a listed building in Derry.

The Foyle Road, Abercorn Road and the top-deck of the Craigavon Bridge were all sealed off as fire service staff tried to stop the blaze at the derelict Tillie and Henderson factory spreading to nearby homes.

The alarm was raised shortly after 7pm when the top floor and roof of the landmark building were spotted ablaze.

One of the city’s most recognisable buildings, the former shirt factory dominates the cityside end of the Craigavon Bridge at Carlisle Square.

The premises has been regularly targeted by arsonists in the past, with a number of fires set there in the last few months.

The factory, which was built in 1856, is seen by many as a symbol of Derry’s textile industry, which dominated employment in the city for almost 140 years.