Attackers attempt to set pensioner on fire in his Keady home

Police have launched an attempted murder investigation after intruders "poured accelerant" over a pensioner in his home in County Armagh on Thursday evening.

Six masked men armed with bats entered the man's living room on the Clay Road in Keady at about 19:35 GMT.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said the intruders attacked the man with bats as he lay on the floor.

Det Insp Moffett said: "This was a terrible ordeal for this man who was subjected to a savage beating and has now lost his home."

The police said as the man lay on the floor, the attackers "then poured accelerant over him and around his home before sparking a fire". His vehicle was also destroyed.

The man, who is in his 70s, remains in hospital with a range of injuries.

He ran "past his attackers" into the yard where he was attacked again, they said, adding that one of the men ransacked the upstairs of the home during the attack.

The PSNI said they believe the suspects left in a dark vehicle, possibly an estate car.

"The badly injured man then managed to make his way to the roadside and raise the alarm with a passing member of the public," police said.

Det Insp Moffett said: "We are increasing our anti-burglary patrolling, particularly in our border areas."

"If you captured CCTV, doorbell, dashcam or any footage in the Keady area on Thursday evening, please get in touch."

Local councillor Scott Armstrong, from the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), said the news was "deeply concerning".

"There has been a rise in rural crime in the last number of months," he said.

"In these dark nights people will be a bit more worried about who is lurking about, especially when you're out isolated like you are here in Keady.

"These events do put a bit of shock into the system and do concern a lot of people," he added.