Gardaí held at gunpoint during robbery in Co Kildare

Two Garda officers were held at gunpoint during an armed robbery at a hotel early today.

Four masked men, three of whom were armed with shotguns and one with a sledgehammer, forced their way into the Clanard Court Hotel in Athy, Co Kildare at 2.30am.

The raiders ransacked the reception area and were preparing to make their getaway when two uniformed Gardaí arrived.

A Garda spokesman added: “The officers entered the hotel to investigate and were held up at gunpoint.

“The raiders demanded the keys of the Garda patrol car and then left in a red jeep which had been stolen earlier in Athy.”

The four-wheel-drive vehicle was later recovered abandoned in a field on the Dublin Road, a short distance away.

A Garda spokesman said a small amount of cash was stolen during the robbery.