Gardaí recover hijacked car

GARDAÍ last night recovered the car that was hijacked by masked gunmen after a terrifying bank raid in west Cork.

The lilac Citroen Xsara was found by a farmer on his land off a quiet country lane on the road between Skibbereen and Schull just before 8pm.

It will be examined by Garda forensic experts today.

It was hijacked by the two gunmen who robbed the Bank of Ireland branch on Market Street in Skibbereen on Monday morning.

They forced its owner, who was about to buy petrol in Hegarty’s petrol station, to hand over its keys after they crashed their Audi getaway car just a few hundred yards from the bank.

The two raiders, who were armed with a shotgun and possibly an air rifle, are still at large.

Gardaí again warned the public not to approach the two, who were described as “armed and potentially dangerous”.

The men, who wore balaclavas, spoke with Cork accents. One is described as about 6ft tall and of strong build. The other is about 5ft 7in and of stocky build.

Superintendent Pat Maher, who is leading the investigation, appealed for witnesses to contact them and help gardaí locate the two men.

“We would ask people to pass any information they may have to Skibbereen gardaí at 028 23088 or their nearest Garda station,” he said.