Man on gangmaster charge after pub abduction

A man was tonight charged in Northern Ireland with acting as a gangmaster.

It is the first time the charge has been made in the province and it follows the alleged abduction and assault of a man from a pub in Co Antrim.

The victim was allegedly taken from the bar in the centre of the village of Dunloy at lunchtime on Sunday and rescued from a house later in the day by police in Ballymoney, about 10 miles away.

He needed hospital treatment for injuries he suffered during his ordeal.

Three men arrested in Ballymoney about the incident are understood to be Polish, as is the victim.

The Police Service said tonight a 22-year-old man has been charged with acting as a gangmaster following the incident.

The man, together with two other 22-year-old men, has also been charged with kidnapping, false imprisonment and causing grievous bodily harm with intent, said a police spokeswoman.

All three men are due to appeal before Coleraine Magistrates Court in Co Derry in the morning.

Police confirmed that it was the first time in Northern Ireland that the gangmaster charge had been made.