A man arrested by detectives investigating a malicious fire at Gosford House Hotel, in Markethill, Co Armagh, has been freed on bail pending further inquiries. An RUC spokesman refused to identify the person questioned. Yesterday the hotel's owner, Mr Freddie Dougan, was not available. His wife, Ivy, said she "didn't want to talk anything about the fire".
The hotel bar was extensively damaged by the blaze, which broke out shortly after midnight on Saturday. The rest of the hotel sustained smoke damage. The family-owned hotel was wrecked by an IRA van bomb in September 1993. It reopened 18 months later after a £1 million restoration scheme. Some time ago it was put up for sale.