Raiders escape in 100mph chase

GARDAÍ are searching for a gang of masked raiders after they chased their getaway car at speeds of more than 100mph yesterday.

The men were involved in an attempted robbery of a bookmakers in Co Cork, the second in the region in less than 12 hours.

Four men kicked down the door of Paddy Powers bookmakers in Charleville at 2.30am yesterday.

However, when the alarm went off the gang fled in a Mitsubishi Gallant. A garda car pursued the raiders towards Ballyhea.

“At times speeds reached over 100 miles an hour and the patrol car lost them at Herlihy’s Cross,” a garda spokesman said.

He said the gang failed to take any cash from the premises. Gardaí believe they are Limerick-based and are unlikely to have been the same gang involved in an earlier raid at a bookmakers in Cork city.

The spokesman said there was no rear number plate on the Gallant, a feature the public may be able to help them with.

Detectives were yesterday carrying out a forensic examination of the car used by three men who robbed the Cork city bookmakers.

The three, wearing balaclavas, burst into the Ladbrokes office at St Luke’s at 4.50pm on Tuesday.

At least one is believed to have brandished a gun and threatened staff. Gardaí are unsure whether the weapon was real or imitation.

The gang stole around €1,000 and sped off in a grey Honda Civic which was later found abandoned at nearby Grattan Hill.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Anglesea Street Garda Station at 021-4522000. The attempted robbery in north Cork is being investigated by Mallow gardaí at 022-21105.