Ten rescued following Newry arson.

Ten people, including two children, have been rescued from flats after an arson attack on a bookmaker’s shop beneath in Newry.

The Fire and Rescue Service said the blaze in the four-storey building in Corn Market was already well-developed when crews arrived just after 0300 BST.

Sixteen people live in the flats but six had already got out before fire fighters arrived to tackle the blaze.

Five of those rescued are being treated for the effects of breathing in smoke.

A spokesperson for the Fire and Rescue Service said smoke alarms had been fitted at the premises but were not operating properly.

The police said the residents affected by the fire were foreign nationals and that a hate crime is one line of inquiry.