Mother and children escape death in gang’s car rampage

YOUTHS who collided with a mother and her three children during a cross-Border stolen car rampage could easily have killed someone, police said yesterday.

The victims were taken to hospital after the thieves hit their car in south Armagh while driving on the wrong side of the road. Drink was found in one of the cars which was recovered.

The same gang is believed to have forced a pensioner to drive to Dundalk, Co Louth, with a rope around his neck as part of a crime spree in which nine vehicles in counties Down, Armagh and Louth were damaged.