Police are appealing for information after a fire caused damage to the Belfast Barge vessel which is moored at the River Lagan.
The team behind the barge, which relaunched as an arts centre and maritime museum in 2021, said they were “deeply saddened” by the incident, which saw significant damage caused to the vessel’s wheel house in the early hours of last Thursday.
In a Facebook post, a spokesperson said: “We are currently assessing the damage but early signs show that the damage was isolated to the wheel house.
“We will update over the next day or two once we get up and running.”
They added it was a “sad day for our beloved barge”.
The boat, previously named MV Confiance, was built in the Netherlands in 1960 and was sailed to Belfast in 2010 by Captain Derek Booker, founder of the Lagan Legacy charity.
A PSNI spokesperson said the fire was reported on the barge at around 3.15am on Thursday.
“Enquiries are ongoing to establish the cause and anyone who may have been in the area at the time and witnessed anything suspicious, or anyone with any CCTV or other footage that could assist with the investigation, is asked to contact police on 101 quoting reference 145 of 04/04/24,” they said.
