The fire that destroyed an Orange Hall in Co Tyrone was an arson attack, leaders of the Order said.

The Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland condemned the destruction of Bonn Orange Hall on the Pomeroy Road, Dungannon.

The blaze had already engulfed the two-storey building when emergency services were alerted.

A spokesman for the Grand Orange Lodge said: "This is another serious attack on the Protestant and Orange culture and must be condemned by all right-thinking people.

"We would appeal to everyone in the Orange Order and its supporters not to fall into the trap of allowing this to increase community tension.

"The only way to deal with this attack and continuing attacks on our halls is to work with the police in trying to catch the culprits."

The hall is used by two local Orange lodges, a Royal Black Preceptory and a pipe band and a flute band.

It was extensively damaged in an arson attack in November 2008.

Police have confirmed they are investigating the cause of the latest fire.

The fire service has now brought the blaze under control, but local station commander Michael Flanagan said there was major damage.

I remember reading that during the UWC strike the Prods were 'top dogs' in Rasharkin. There no doubt in my mind that these movement of populations just don't happen. They are made to happen and are organized. We on the other hand...well you know yourself.

I'm all for parading traditional routes as you say and again as you correctly say the only way to keep parading traditional routes is to keep control of the routes themselves, basically hold the demographic majority.

I think it will be interesting to see what happens in Rasharkin this friday, total confusion, loyalists in one half of the village, rebels in the other half and hundreds a bandsmen left stranded till their buses come on the edge of the village, utter madness. Last year the rebels threw golf balls, tins a beer, bottles the heap at the bandsmen, they also threw a petrol bomb at the police right at the line of police separating the prods and taigs, be interesting to see what happens on friday, hopefully there will be a good turnout from our community.'