NI’s first model with Down’s syndrome has expressed despair at her family’s hen houses being set on fire in Co Tyrone.
Kate Grant took to Facebook to post an image of herself looking visibly distressed, alongside a photograph of the burnt chicken sheds.
She questioned ‘how cruel’ people could be, adding: “For the third time, someone has burnt my family farm’s two hen houses in a month.
“I’m so so upset. Thank goodness the hens were gone. I can’t cope with this.
“Please SHARE and hopefully catch these horrible people.”
A spokesperson for the Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service said that the cause of the fire is believed to be deliberate ignition, but remains under investigation.
A spokesperson added that fire fighters were called to the scene at 2.43am in the early hours of Sunday (November 10).
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Flame were extinguished and operations were finished at 5.15am.
“Three fire appliances were in attendance from Rathfriland and Newcastle,” they added.
The Belfast Telegraph has also contacted the PSNI for details.
Kate Grant is well known throughout NI for her services to the modelling and disability community.
Her life changed dramatically in 2017, when her mum Deirdre posted an appeal on Facebook for someone to help her fashion-loving 19-year-old daughter realise her dream of becoming a model.
She featured on BBC1 programme Role Models, in which the documentary followed her as she pursued her dream and took her first steps on the catwalk.
Kate was then asked to represent Northern Ireland in the Ultimate Beauty of the World beauty pageant, which she won aged 19, accelerating her fashion career.
The young woman became the first model with Down syndrome to take part in Belfast Fashion Week and be signed by the ACA Models agency.
In 2019, she was recognised for her achievements in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list, and was awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM) for “services to the community in Cookstown”.