Porter treated for shock as thieves leave empty-handed

GARDAI were yesterday hunting a team of thieves who attempted to rob a Dublin city-centre hotel.

But while the three raiders seemed to be well organised, they got away with nothing of any value. However, a night porter was treated for shock after he was subjected to a terrifying ordeal.

The pre-dawn raid took place at Chief O’Neill’s Hotel in Dublin’s newly rejuvenated Smithfield, on the northside of the quays.

The three raiders, wearing balaclavas, boiler suits and gloves, entered the hotel at 4.20am. “They were armed with a handgun, entered the hotel and assaulted the night porter,” said a garda spokesman.

The robbers tied the night porter’s hands with a cable and took the hotel keys from his pocket. But they didn’t plan for all eventualities.

When they were disturbed by guests checking out, the trio fled the hotel, although they had the presence of mind to locate the CCTV room and take out the security video tape.

“They left with just the keys and the tape, nothing else,” said the garda.

Gardaí were immediately alerted and preserved the scene for any possible forensic clues.

Detectives at Bridewell Station were yesterday interviewing the night porter, hotel guests and management about the raid.

They have no description yet on the attackers or how they made their escape.

The garda spokesman said the night porter was shaken by the experience. “He received some treatment in hospital for shock, but he’s doing okay.”

Anyone who may have seen the raiders is asked to ring the Bridewell Garda Station at 666 8200.

Ironically, the raid occurred on the day a conference was being held in Dublin on security and travel, part of which examined security in hotels.

Frank Maguire, head of security at Jurys Doyle Hotel Group, said the open door policies of hotels allowed the bad as well as the good in society to enter - including pickpockets, handbag and luggage thieves, fraudsters, room thieves and con artists.

He said good security policy involved security training and security awareness among staff as well as modern equipment, such as CCTV, intruder alarms and panic alarms.

Speaking at a security conference organised by Neenan Travel/Synergi Ireland, he said rooms in Jurys had electronic locks with numberless keys and security codes that were changed after each guest left.

In addition each room was fitted with a dead bolt lock and spy hole.

Mr Maguire said that international research showed that safety and security featured in guests’ top three concerns.